Our Father

Never had the opportunity to watch an Israeli film. Never heard they produce films.

It sounds weird, but Israel is all about warfare tech and that aggressive settlement thing— if you follow the media, you won’t possibly hear anything more than this about this region. So, wanted to give it a try once I came across this film on torrent along with another that I will let you know about some other day.

Fatherhood is indeed amazing; except for the raising and responsibility part. If you are a father already, you know what I mean. And if you are not, kindly read the quote above; again. Yes, I can’t explain what water feels like.

Anyway, I wasn’t expecting anything decent from the movie as I have no idea how Israeli films are. So, I played it to taste it for the first time and guess what, I liked it. That’s a one-sentence verdict but if I am to dive deep, it may sound melancholic.

Overall, the plot is interesting. A hard-working man is trying hard to get two things in his life— a decent income and a child of his own. They are having difficulties conceiving and it seems like the treatment they are undergoing is flawed. Consulting a highly-paid private doctor might set things on right track; they thought. But money is a big issue. To arrange a visit to the best private hospital in the area and to continue their treatment there, they need money; a lot of it.

Offering quick money is enough to break a man’s morale in these trying times. And that’s happened to our to-be father. He joined a party of notorious loan sharks. His skill as a night club bouncer helped him climb the chain and soon, he became the favourite of the boos. Evidently, money flowed. They could afford the expensive treatment and by the grace of the almighty, they became parents.

The story is quite straightforward. But there are twists in every frame. A man with a decent job slowly submitted himself before the criminals and became a blood god; not a typical action crime thriller.

Behind the scene, a man’s helplessness has been highlighted again and again. What breaks a man, what fulfils a man, what makes a man weep— you will experience it chapter by chapter. When a man holds a gun against his best friend, it’s not a joke. Years of a relationship turned into ashes in a moment; you simply can’t skip it without sighing with a heavy heart.

But the film has many flaws. The acting is not top-notch, events are loosely connected, and most importantly, the ending is superficial as if the director was hurried to release the film and didn’t want it to be lengthier.

A rough cut at the ending scenes without justifying the consequences of the hero’s action— the movie could do better if the audience got their answers about what happened to the crime syndicate and the bloodbath caused by them.

Nevertheless, a decent film to watch with the family.