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O Jerusalem
Buddy story meets History Channel remake
By
CHRIS BRAIOTTA
|
October 24, 2007
O JERUSALEM
" alt="photo of 'O JERUSALEM'">
1.5
Stars
O JERUSALEM: Lacking dramatic grace.
In its attempt to cover the 1948 war that kicked off modern Israel, Elie Chouraqui’s
O Jerusalem
forges a regrettable two-state solution. As with another two-state solution one could mention, neither side goes home happy. One of the movie’s factions is a laughable drama wherein a New York Jew meets a Palestinian student. They become pals and wind up in Palestine just as the UN votes on what to do about Zionism. The result sends them to their respective sides, but it’s a small Holy Land, and the ex-friends keep running into each other at every big gun battle.
Awkward
. The other side aims for the Big Picture, with a Groucho-inspired Golda Meir and Ian “Bilbo” Holm in an Einstein wig as a pocket-sized David Ben-Gurion. The buddy story and the History Channel remake clash; neither wins. It doesn’t help that Chouraqui’s direction shows all the dramatic grace of an IMAX ballooning film.
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ARTICLES BY CHRIS BRAIOTTA
WELCOME HOME ROSCOE JENKINS
| February 06, 2008
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HOW SHE MOVE
| January 23, 2008
Not original "original" screenplay
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| December 12, 2007
Juno is in the family way
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O JERUSALEM
| October 24, 2007
Buddy story meets History Channel remake
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