[B] Comedy
- Written and directed by Eran Kolirin
Kurt Vonnegut called unusual travel suggestions “dancing lessons from God.” A small Egyptian police orchestra does quite a rumba when they accidentally arrive in the wrong Israeli town in Kolirin’s gentle comedy.
There’s nothing political about this Arabs-meet-Jews movie. Neither politics nor religion ever come up. No one treats anyone else like a sub-human or potential enemy, and no one appears offended by being in close proximity to the other. People talk, flirt, eat, sing, and drink together. There’s a language barrier, of course, but even that doesn’t amount to much, since everyone’s fluent in English.
Although it has a story, The Band’s Visit has no plot or conflict to speak of. The band is stranded in the
wrong town, they can’t get transportation out until the next day, but locals are willing to put them up and they’ll still make their gig. There’s a modicum of suspense of the “Will these two bed each other– variety, but it hardly puts you on the edge of your seat.
What the movie provides is a calm comedy served with human observation. Kolirin proves a master at comic timing. Early on, the band poses for a tourist’s camera. Kolirin keeps his camera still for an extended long shot as one musician and then another messes with his hair or straightens his uniform. I can’t say why it was funny, but giggles in the audience built slowly until a photo-ruining janitor provided the big pay-off.
Although there’s surprisingly little musical performances for a film about musicians, there is real love of the art. The band’s leader becomes very defensive when asked why a police department needs a band. “You may as well ask why a man needs a soul?– There’s a reason for his sore spot: Back home in Alexandria, he’s fighting budget cuts that could destroy his pride and joy.
For musicians, some things are universal.
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