First Feature Competition screening - short review - YOUTH by Tom Shoval

Two brothers living on the outskirts of Tel Aviv come up with a plan to kidnap a girl to help their family’s financial struggles and the problems of their unemployed father. This plan to make quick money is made easier when one of the brothers enlists in the army and is presented with a rifle. Despite the unexpected plot twists, Youth neither unravels with great urgency, nor does it ever feel particularly tense. Nevertheless, it is able to successfully grab the viewer’s attention with its realistic approach, its wide avoidance of clichés and a remarkable use of uneasy sense of humour. The real stand out element in Shoval’s debut feature, however, is the charming background story of family love and commitment, which contrasts deeply with the conventional nature and audience perception of kidnap thrillers.