Cup Final

Eran Riklis's spare, sensitive 1991 film is a remarkably successful attempt to humanize the Jewish-Palestinian conflict. Set during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the summer of 1982, it's centered on Cohen (Moshe Ivgy), a Jewish reservist taken captive by a band of PLO commandos who decide to transport him to Beirut for a possible prisoner exchange. As the trek proceeds, the enthusiasm Cohen and Palestinian leader Ziad (Mohammed Bakri) share for the World Cup soccer matches underway in Spain bring the men to a grudging understanding of one another, even though old animosities are still apt to explode at a moment's notice. Like the recent No Man's Land (VL-3/02), Cup Final dramatizes the futility of war by throwing combatants together to show that deep down they have the same fears and dreams, while also drawing on humor to make its points. And if Ivgy's Chaplin-esque quality is occasionally overused, and the soccer theme grows a bit tiresome, these are minor flaws in an otherwise affecting, perceptive little picture. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)