A Tale of Love and Darkness * * *

If the session I went to is a sample of the audience this film is attracting I  hope things pick up for Natalie Portman.  I was the only person in the cinema.  It’s not showing in too many places either (only two cinemas in Melbourne).

The film is based upon the book of the same name by Amos Oz.  I have not read the book so I cannot say if it is a fair and accurate interpretation, but I would say the emphasis is more upon the narrator's mother played by Portman than the narrator himself.  His Mother was a teller of tales and had the unique ability to make up parable like stories, whilst his father struggled to be a serious writer with her patience and support.

It tells the story of his childhood at the time of the State of Israel being established, and the beginning of an ongoing tragic discomfort of two nations sharing the same land. (I’m probably already showing my ignorance about what’s behind all that so I’ll say no more).  
Though there are many scenes in A Tale of Love and Darkness which suggest that these people were living in harmony in mutually respectful, sharing and caring communities (perhaps many still do).

This is a directorial debut for Natalie Portman and although it is a watchable film - it is beautifully shot - I think it would have been better served with more emphasis upon the narrator than the mental deterioration of his mother. His teenage years and time in the Kibbutz are virtually wrapped in a few minutes toward the end.

Nevertheless, due to her own personal familiarity with that land, it’s people and language there is a confidence that shines through in A Tale Of Love and Darkness.  Interestingly she has the cast uncompromisingly speak in Hebrew with English Subtitles