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Zaytoun review

A Palestinian refugee and an Israeli pilot form a bond

Reviews
By Neil Smith published 11 January 2013

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Stephen Dorff continues his Somewhere -instigated comeback in this odd-couple tale about a downed Israeli fighter pilot who takes a perilous trek across war-torn Lebanon with a 10-year-old Palestinian refugee (Abdallah El Akal).

Eran Riklis’ road movie – its title means ‘olive’ – neatly juxtaposes the beauty of the landscape with the enmities it engenders, locating an optimism in the central relationship that subsequent history (as explored in Waltz With Bashir ) would cruelly dash.

You wonder, though, if the ultra-specific backdrop is really just a smokescreen for the sort of heart-tugging man-and-boy yarn that tends to tickle gong-givers this time of year.

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Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Freelance Writer

Neil Smith is a freelance film critic and writer who contributes regularly to Heat, SFX and Screen International. He's a long-time member of the London Film Critics’ Circle and was a contributing editor at Total Film for many years.

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