Footnote

Overview

Sly, subtle, comedic brilliance is what Israeli film Footnote delivers, a film about father and son rivalry and the extremes one of them will go to protect the other.

On the surface the son, Uriel (Lior Ashkenazi) seems to very much take after his father. They are both family men who dedicate their lives to the study of the narrow field of Talmudic literature, Jewish texts written around 200-500 AD. But unlike his father, Uriel is a kind of rock star in the academic world, a point that from the opening scene clearly irks the elder Eliezer, played by actor Shlomo Bar Aba.

During a speech Uriel gives upon receiving entry into the prestigious Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, he praises his father's influence while Eliezer sits there; arms folded, mouth pursed and with a brow so knotted you get an immediate sense of how much resentment he's holding in.

Eliezer is bitter because his most notable scholarly achievement to date is having been mentioned by his famed mentor in a footnote. For years he's felt shunned by the academic community but this seems all about to change when he receives a phone call informing him he will, at long last, be receiving academia's highest honor, the Israel Prize.  Naturally, there's a twist, one which will test the characters and vanities of both father and son. Don't worry though, I'm not about to give it all away.

So much of the humorous element of this film is about what's not said. Eliezer's character says so little through-out the film but conveys so much through his body language and the many close-ups of his fidgeting hands, expressive face and the texts he reads - a true testament to cinematographer Yaron Scharf's eye for detail.  Director Joseph Cedar's impeccable timing is also worthy of mention as is the musical score which is spot on throughout. Light-hearted to underline the gentle mockery of Uriel, the "great academic" lecturing on one thing or another and later fast paced as he desperately searches for his father to break some important news.

The supporting roles of both wives are also excellent, although I would have loved to have seen more of them. Eliezer's wife Yehudit is silently contemptuous yet loyal to her husband. Uriel's wife Dikla (Alma Zak) speaks her mind and what she has to say is not always as flattering as what he has become accostumed to hearing from his colleagues.

Nominated for an Oscar and winner of the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes last year, this highly enjoyable and unusual film will have you smirking to yourself for days.