Afula Express

Israel's submission for Best Foreign Language Film to the 70th Academy Awards is a lighthearted romantic comedy about an aspiring magician and how his striving towards his goal affects his relationships with people. I had never heard of Julie Shles before watching "Afula Express" (also called "Pick a Card"), but I'd like to see more of her work. This movie manages to create many emotions without getting sappy. Check it out if you get a chance.

Watch for playwright Amit Lior as Yair.

In the lead role of a nobody who wants to be a magician, it's a pleasant enough surprise that anyone can steer clear of facile slapstick on the one hand and facile pathos on the other. But that it's Zvika Hadar is simply astonishing, given the bottom-of-the- barrel humor that he supplies on Israeli television. The movie is in excellent taste. (Well, aside from that sex scene in the alley...)

First let me say that the first 45 minutes of this movie are just wonderful. The development of the two main characters is joyful to watch, as their performances and the direction brings you deeply into their personas to where you almost feel like you've known them for years. You see almost from the opening scene their virtues, their faults, and you can understand completely why they are together, why they love one another, and why their relationship is in great danger.

The story is about a couple from a small Israeli town who are having trouble making it in Tel Aviv. Batya is becoming increasingly frustrated with David's futile attempts at realizing his dream of becoming a magician (he usually lazes around the apartment all day while she works all day at the local grocery shop). The poignancy with which the film shows a woman in love, but at the end of her rope is as real as anything you'll see on the subject.

The film takes a slight detour downward once Batya decides she has had enough not only of David, but of Tel Aviv. She packs her bags and heads back to Afula. The problem at this point is two-fold. First, the story stays in Tel Aviv, so we lose Batya, who up until this point was the central figure in the film. I would rather have followed her to Afula as I was so enthralled with her character. Second, somewhat miraculously (and not very credibly), David, with the assistance of his deadbeat friend Shimon, suddenly become overnight sensations in the magician world. This part of the plot takes what was previously a completely realistic (yet still fascinating) story into a sort of unspectacular fantasy. The ending also ties up a bit too neatly and bizarrely (especially regarding the involvement of some union thugs).

These criticisms aside, the film still manages to come off as a more than pleasant experience and definitely worth checking out. The direction is creative, yet never overstated and the performances are wonderful on all parts, even down to Batya's biker crush. Part I gets a 10, part II gets a 6. Overall score, 8 out of 10.

This movie is one of the best I have seen in 1997. Julie Shlez, a wonderfully gifted documentary creator made her first motion picture and proved again, that even with a limited budget one can make a little cinematic masterpiece. Shlez creates magic on screen. Her film is funny, sad and funny once again. The actors are wonderful: Zvika Hadar is amazing, Esty Zakheim is unforgettable and Orli Perl is so so sweet and sexy. "Afula Express" touches your soul so deeply, you will never forget this unique feeling. My grade: **** 1/2 (out of *****)

I just saw this movie and I want the last 90 minutes of my life back. At about the 50 minute mark I looked up and groaned that I still had 40 minutes left. I would've just stopped it, but I paid a damn good $2 to rent it so I figured why not let it end.

Pick a Card (Afula Express) is an entirely horrible movie. It follows to hateable, mismatched people who are in love (??)....Maybe. David is a pathetic, lazy loser that dreams of an obviously unreachable stardom. Batya is his overweight, whiny girlfriend who appears to have no ambition or care about anything else but David and her former home. There is no rhyme or reason for these two to care about each other except maybe they're both so unattractive they can't find anyone else to sleep with them. In fact, the most memorable thing, and by memorable I mean nightmare-ish memorable, is a scene of rough sex between the two leads in a darkened alleyway. The scene is disturbing and completely non-sensical in the context of the relationship.

The plot is both non-sensical and predictable. I won't tell you how it ends, but if you can't figure it out halfway through then you have not seen very many movies.

You'll be better off if you don't see this movie. And if you do see it, don't be angry...I did warn you.