Bethlehem

This Israeli film from Yuval Adler deals with the yin-and-yang of conflict in the Middle East, focusing on the relationship between Razi (Tsahi Halevy) a sensitive Israeli intelligence operative, and a teenage Palestinian informant named Sanfur (Shadi Mar'i), the younger brother of a radical militia leader who becomes the chief target of a manhunt following a suicide bombing. Razi hopes to use the boy to trap his brother, but doesn't know that Sanfur is also serving as a conduit for funds from Hamas to his brother—or that rumors of that arrangement are causing both the venal officials of the Palestinian Authority and other militants to harbor doubts about him. Escalating tensions among the various Palestinian factions and demands from the equally divided Israeli side put increasing pressure on Sanfur, who must prove his manhood while dealing with the threat he faces by playing a double game. The complex narrative may bewilder some viewers, but the central relationships help personalize what could have simply come across as a cryptic game of power politics. Benefiting from a largely non-professional cast that offers convincingly realistic portrayals, Bethlehem might not offer new insights but it does depict the human cost of continuing war in the Middle East with often startling power. Recommended. (F. Swietek)