A Room of His Own

Writer/director Matan Yair makes movie after movie (I think it's three so far, and a TV series) based on his experiences as a high-school teacher. This one centers around a boy who unexpectedly combines a nervous stammer with a tendency to tactless, defiant criticism. He has an oppressive home life, and the gym teacher-- who somewhat understands that-- is quite forgiving although, curiously, when the boy can't being signatures from both parents on a permission slip because his father has disappeared, the boy doesn't explain and the gym teacher doesn't seriously inquire or try to arrange leniency. Despite the presence of the redoubtable Israeli actor Dror Keren as the gym teacher, the movie rests on the shoulders of young Gilad Lederman, apparently in his first move, as the boy. For some reason his eyelashes seem to have been distractingly darkened, but once you get past that, his acting successfully carries you through.