James' Journey to Jerusalem

Description

A cannily droll mix of social commentary and modern fairy tale, Israeli filmmaker Ra'anan Alexandrowicz's debut feature follows the adventures of James, a devout Christian making a pilgrimage from his African village to the Holy Land. He becomes part of the migrant labor workforce in Tel Aviv and pursues his religious quest—until he gets a little taste of fortune by turning the tables on his employers. With a moving and charismatic performance by South African actor Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe, JAMES' JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM is an astute exploration of the economic, moral and spiritual hypocrisies of Western society filtered through an evocative portrait of modern Israel's cultural and generational divisions.

Customer Reviews:

Cinematic Mastery is What It Is.......2007-05-04

"James' Journey to Jerusalem" is a true classic. It is well written and equally well acted. What I appreciate most about this film is that it provides an honest look at what it means to be an outsider in a strange land. Nothing is sugar-coated, so the reality may sting a bit for some viewers. However, that's what contributes to its charm.

Bottom line-- You will laugh, and you will cry. You need this in your life.

Should have been better.......2005-12-25

The Israelis portrayed in the film are all crass, greedy, selfish, dishonest, exploitative, overweight slobs. What could have been an honest critique of materialistic capitalism and contemporary Israel degenerates into an apology for the Intifada, tinged with the stench of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. I guess the hate group that bankrolled this film got what they wanted.

Real Life in Israel.......2005-09-29

I found this to be an excellent movie depicting how things really are for a section of the Israeli population. James's introduction to life in Israel was an eye-opener for him, but he prevailed and learned how to make the situation work to his advantage. He returned to his native land having learned many lessons. Though they were not the lessons he had been sent to learn, they were certainly ones worth learning, This film is an excellent example of the new genre of Israeli films that take a look at real life and does it at a fast clip instead of the long drawn out approach of the last decade's directors.

James is no frayer..........2005-09-07

Good story of innocence, corruption, and capitalist economies. Satirical black comedy w/an unexpected frayer in the end.

a funny poigant satiric slice of life film set in Israel.......2005-08-08

With a soundtrack featuring music by Ehud Banai, Gil Smetana, and Noam Halevi, Mr. Alexandrowicz, who is known for his documentary, THE INNER TOUR, has recruited Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe and Hugh Masebenza from South Africa, to tell a witty story of NOT BEING A FRIAR/FRYER in Israel; the worst of fates.

A generation ago, a film based on Ephraim Kishon's SALLAH character, told the story of a Mizrahi Jewish immigrant to Israel who took the worst jobs and poked fun at Israeli society and the JNF. It is now the turn of these guest workers to do the same thing. And in this story, Sallah is now an old, fully absorbed, retired man, who can now take advantage of the people on the lowest immigration rung.

In this story, JAMES arrives at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.. He is making pilgrimage to the Holy Land for his fictional township, Entshongweniin, in Africa, where he will become a spiritual leader upon his return. They think of Israel as the biblical place. He is immediately arrested as a presumed illegal worker (Actually, when one of the actor sarrived from South Africa to perform in the film, he was arrested and held at the Ben Gurion airport, assumed to be not a tourist but an illegal worker. He had to be bailed out.)

In the film, he prays for deliverance and gets miraculously bailed out; and his adventures as a indebted segregated worker and cleaner begin. Will he ever make it to Jerusalem? Or will he stay on the coastal plain to make more $$? Will his pastor take advantage of him? Or will he take advantage of others? Will his dashiki win out over a nice polo shirt and khakis? Will Shimi's father, Sallah, sell out to real estate interests?

James' Journey to Jerusalem (Massa'ot James Be'eretz Hakodesh) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - France ]

Average customer rating:

James' Journey to Jerusalem (Massa'ot James Be'eretz Hakodesh) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - France ]
Director: Ra'anan Alexandrowicz
Manufacturer: Blaqout
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

France released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: Hebrew (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Subtitles), French (Subtitles), WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SYNOPSIS: Ra'anan Alexandrowicz's film, shot in unpretty video, is about the moral conflict between religious idealism and the crude materialism of the modern world. James (Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe), a devout young African Christian, is sent to Israel on a pilgrimage, but is taken for one of the many illegal migrants who come to that country looking for work. He winds up living in a cramped apartment with other immigrants, who are hired out for menial labor by a businessman named Shimi (Salim Daw). The contrast between James's guilelessness and the duplicity and corruption of Israeli society is a bit heavy-handed, as is the story of James's material rise and spiritual fall. But Mr. Shibe is a smart and subtle actor who draws you into his character's predicament, and at its best the film has the sad, generous glow of genuine humanism. SPECIAL FEATURES: Cast/Crew Interview(s), Interactive Menu, Music Video,

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