Footnote
2011 ‘Hearat Shulayim’ Directed by Joseph Cedar
Synopsis
The story of a great rivalry between a father and son, both eccentric professors in the Talmud department of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The son has an addictive dependency on the embrace and accolades that the establishment provides, while his father is a stubborn purist with a fear and profound revulsion for what the establishment stands for, yet beneath his contempt lies a desperate thirst for some kind of recognition. The Israel Prize, Israel's most prestigious national award, is the jewel that brings these two to a final, bitter confrontation.
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Part of the 30 countries festival. Israel
You don't have to be an academic to enjoy this film, but if you are or ever have been, Footnote is a must-see. It raises so many questions that are the basis of a multitude of ivory-tower hallway discussions. Eliezer Shkolnik spends 30 years in the locked archival sections of libraries comparing various texts of the Talmud on the theory that there was a different source of the material that is lost to us. When a rival researcher accidentally discovers the lost manuscript, thereby validating Eliezer's work, he publishes it himself rather than give it to Eliezer. 30 years of research and he was right, but 30 years of research and he is… -
Part of Lise and Jonnie’s What A Wonderful World: May 30 days, 30 countries.
Israel
Footnote is an amazing little film that took me a while to, while watching, warm up to.
The beginning of the film introduces the two main characters, a Father and Son duo, and their specific credentials within Academia. The expositive detail of the introduction would have normally put me to sleep ( despite it being a morning viewing ) except for the playful score and interceding visual devices generously applied by Joseph Cedar. It’s almost like he was telling me ‘don’t get bogged down by all this exposition I have to shove at you, come along for the ride .. it will be worth it’.…
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Film #23 of Cinebro's "Learn to Hate What You've Always Loved" Challenge
What started out looking like the nichiest if niche films involving the cut-throat world of Talmudic scholarship, "Footnote" actually turns out to be much more: a dark, wry, clever movie about self-worth and generational strife that continually upends the viewer's expectations.
Shlomo Bar Aba and Lior Ashkenazi play Eliezer and Uriel Shkolnik, a father and son who are both noted academics in Hebrew studies. As the film opens, we see the younger Shkolnik receive a cherished academic position as the elder looks on wistfully. The film makes clear that Uriel represents the new world of academia, less dedicated to the minutiae of an argument and looking to paint…
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Footnote is a satirical dark comedy with some serious elements and some really dysfunctional/flawed characters that makes up for a good viewing experience, thanks also to the actors and the writing. It revolves around the troubled relationship between a father and a son, both of them teach at the Talmud department of Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The whole structure of the movie is quite interesting and intelligent, the use of music is quite effective with the whole theme giving it quite a dramatic and thrilling effect. While the use of certain effects and interesting graphics to show the stories, backdrops, flashbacks or interesting details about the characters, their past and their inner feelings is quite genius. One can't help but…
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Israeli film centred around a strained relationship between a father and son who are both Talmudic scholars. What a great movie. I loved how the film deals with the Father's feelings of resentment as his son surpasses his achievements in the same field; the Father is so stoic and grumpy, it's awesome and juxtaposing that against his son who is a lot more open and free worked very well. The films is very funny and touching, plus it exudes intelligence without being annoying. There are two scenes in particular which stood out to me, one being a long argument in a small room of professors, which plays for about five minutes and cuts serious verbal interplay some amusing physical comedy. A funny, and at times touching film that I enjoyed quite a bit.
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First, this film is a lot more serious than the trailer made it look. There is some gentle humor here and there, but it is by and large a drama.
Second, the film is quite good until about 5-10 minutes from the end where it loses focus as the writer/director tries to get "artistic". It then doesn't end, but just stops.
It has the kind of non-conclusion that comes from the writer/director either not being able to figure out how to end it, from him not caring how it ends (see: David Lynch), from him being too lazy to come up with an ending, or from him enjoying the power that comes from knowing how it ends but denying that knowledge to the people who watch it (see: Michael Haneke).
A better title for this film would have been "Loose Ends". Despite all that, it still gets three stars, even though the loss of direction at the end hurt it.
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Good character establishment and development.
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Part of Lise and Jonnie’s What A Wonderful World: May 30 days, 30 countries.
Israel
Footnote is an amazing little film that took me a while to, while watching, warm up to.
The beginning of the film introduces the two main characters, a Father and Son duo, and their specific credentials within Academia. The expositive detail of the introduction would have normally put me to sleep ( despite it being a morning viewing ) except for the playful score and interceding visual devices generously applied by Joseph Cedar. It’s almost like he was telling me ‘don’t get bogged down by all this exposition I have to shove at you, come along for the ride .. it will be worth it’.…
-
Part of the 30 countries festival. Israel
You don't have to be an academic to enjoy this film, but if you are or ever have been, Footnote is a must-see. It raises so many questions that are the basis of a multitude of ivory-tower hallway discussions. Eliezer Shkolnik spends 30 years in the locked archival sections of libraries comparing various texts of the Talmud on the theory that there was a different source of the material that is lost to us. When a rival researcher accidentally discovers the lost manuscript, thereby validating Eliezer's work, he publishes it himself rather than give it to Eliezer. 30 years of research and he was right, but 30 years of research and he is… -
First, this film is a lot more serious than the trailer made it look. There is some gentle humor here and there, but it is by and large a drama.
Second, the film is quite good until about 5-10 minutes from the end where it loses focus as the writer/director tries to get "artistic". It then doesn't end, but just stops.
It has the kind of non-conclusion that comes from the writer/director either not being able to figure out how to end it, from him not caring how it ends (see: David Lynch), from him being too lazy to come up with an ending, or from him enjoying the power that comes from knowing how it ends but denying that knowledge to the people who watch it (see: Michael Haneke).
A better title for this film would have been "Loose Ends". Despite all that, it still gets three stars, even though the loss of direction at the end hurt it.
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Argh, the ending! But i'll get to that in a second. The first thing that stuck with me while watching this movie is the music. It's so the opposite of the music you would think would accompany this movie, but it works! The score is upbeat with lots of energy, something you might hear in a heist film or a light action movie. And it brings that much needed energy to this slow and deliberate film. The main character (the father) barely speaks in this film, he is this grumpy ball of contempt, but add a peppy score and it completely changes the tone. You aren't troubled by this man, that's just the way he is.
The other standout from…
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Great idea, but poor execution. It's not awful, but it's slow moving and I found myself wishing it was finished a lot earlier than it was. Good for a sad day.
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"Footnote" es una película que sutilmente introduce conflictos morales profundos. Es acerca de un padre y un hijo (ambos académicos) que nunca han tenido una buena relacion. El padre es un hombre amargado que nunca ha sido recompensado por sus años de estudio y su hijo encuentra éxito aun cuando desea que su padre pudiese disfrutarlo. La historia introduce un gran detonante que cambiara sus vidas.
"Footnote" fue nominada como mejor pelicula extranjera en los Oscares del año pasado. Es una propuesta sublime de Israel con estupendas actuaciones y una historia rica y provocativa. De las mejores películas del 2011. -
I like Joseph Cedar’s Footnote [2011], the Israeli film recently nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar (but which lost to the worthier Iranian film A Separation) — but one cannot help but think it is a film blessed with a gorgeously intriguing idea which it had no idea of resolving. And so when it ends, it … ends. Like a song that ends in mid-chorus. The idea is this: two Talmudic scholars — a father and his son — are secret rivals. The father is a brilliant scholar, but is irascible and taciturn, has seen some unlucky streaks in his academic career, and has been passed over for decades for the Israel Prize, the highest and most prestigious prize…
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The stylistic flourishes clash with the subject matter, indicating more whimsy than is actually present here. More of an interesting premise than actual film, though a key scene among professors in an enclosed conference room gave me hope the film might improve.