We all get lost once in a while, and the stories of getting lost are often the most interesting. The Band's Visit is one of them; a small movie from Israel about a small Egyptian police orchestra visiting Israel to celebrate the opening of an Arabic Cultural Center.Unfortunately, they end up in the wrong small Israeli town -- a place the local cafe owner describes as "No Arab culture. No Israeli culture. No culture period."
From there, the movie tells three stories, each about one of the members of the Egyptian band, as they spend the night in this unexpected place. The head of the band, Tewfiq, spends time with the cafe owner, Dina, who tries -- very nicely and subtly -- to seduce him.
The young hothead of the band, Haled, goes off with some of the local young people, but doesn't find much excitement (out there, at least).
And another band member, a failed composer, has an uncomfortable dinner with his Israeli hosts, but perhaps discovers a way to finish his long-abandoned concerto.
The Band's Visit isn't trying to be anything more than it is: a small movie of particular characters. It does have some slight allegorical overtones -- or, perhaps, it's just that allegory can be read into every story of Israelis and their neighbors -- but they're entirely positive without being maudlin. Audiences who think either Israelis or Arabs should be driven into the sea and murdered will be deeply unhappy with this movie; those of us with normal human compassion will find it a nice but unspectacular independent movie.
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