Butterfl

In response to SleepyCannon of China (impressive in itself that the film made it that far!), I didn't mind Dafna falling into the arms of the doctor. Not only are neediness and dependency part of being human, but who could blame her for seeking a bit of comfort when she's reached her breaking point, whether it's from a man or otherwise? At that point, at the height of her crisis, just about anything she did would've been believable. And contrary to what another commentator wrote, she was not trying to get into his pants, Heaven forfend! Yet even if she had been, I would've excused her. Can a person in her situation be said to be thinking straight?

I'm surprised no one's mentioned the scene when Maya runs away to the recording studio in Tel Aviv, where as she's waiting to be seen, the receptionist is doing some remote mothering of her own, telling her lonely and scared child on the other end of the line to put in a video so s/he could fall asleep. This was a brilliant ironic touch, echoing and mirroring Maya's own family's situation.

I also liked that the father was not killed in a terror attack or in battle, giving the film its universality. Bergman, way to go. You make me proud to be Israeli.

Get ready for a raw, gritty look at prostitution and how some end up there. While the plot is uncomplicated, the film is unrelenting -- you won't crack so much as a smile; no humor whatsoever here. The story of a prostitute and her teenage daughter is powerfully told. The daughter, predictably, runs the household and has to mother the hopelessly irresponsible mother. They barely get by with the help of the neighbors, who are also the owners of a diner where the daughter works part-time. It's a slice-of-life drama that, while it takes place in Israel, could easily take place anywhere where low expectations meet low self-esteem. Be warned: It doesn't leave you upon leaving the theater.

I'm conservative -- don't like remakes, don't like cover versions. This is a fun exception! They took the original and ran with it. Fun without being sappy. No gratuitous sexual content or violence, yet holds your interest. I'd recommend it to anyone.