The Band's Visit

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Judging from the camera framing that Israeli Eran Kolirin employs in The Band's Visit, it's obvious that he's a massive fan of Wes Anderson. The comparisons don't stop there, either: although the quirky characters and barely-there storyline resembles Anderson's first and last outings (Bottle Rocket and The Darjeeling Limited), Kolirin goes one better, as his story has a lot more heart than the American's. The simple story takes place over 24 hours in a small city somewhere in the Israeli hinterland, where an eight-man Egyptian police brass band, led by the uptight Tawfiq (Gabai), arrives to play a concert. They soon realise that they are in the wrong place and, stranded, seek help from the feisty Dina (Elkabetz), the proprietor of a local restaurant. She gladly puts them up and they spend the evening mixing with the various locals. "Not many people remember this story," The Band's Visit - one of the most likeable movies you're likely to see - announces at the outset. "It was not that important." Kolirin takes this 'unimportant' approach and relishes bringing up serious issues without tackling them head-on and without being flippant; anyone unfamiliar with Arab-Israeli relations would be confused to learn that there is tension between the two, as Kolirin's message of unity is imbedded deep in the subtext, allowing character, humour and pathos full reign.