YOUTH (2013) - ♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Tom Shoval

Written by - Tom Shoval

Starring - Eitan Cunio, David Cunio

"With his feature film debut, Tom Shoval paints a realistic picture of dangerous every day culture of Israel and its youth culture but neither pontificating not inaccessible to an international audience.

It is the story of two brothers living on the outskirts of Tel Aviv who come up with a plan to kidnap a girl to help their family’s financial struggles and the problems of their unemployed father. To the them, this plan is almost a game, and their job is made all the easier by the fact that one of them enlists in the army and is presented a rifle.

Quite remarkably the film never seems to unravel with great urgency but remains absorbing mostly thanks to the great juxtaposition of the domestic drama elements with the kidnapping thriller. It is also interesting to see a distressing sense of humour in a film that uses a realistic approach in style and content. To the two brothers, this kidnapping plot is nothing more than a game; the haunting element is the fact that they are given a rifle in the first place."

Drama, Israel/Germany/France