Saint Clara

An Israeli film about a clairvoyant teenaged Russian immigrant sounds fairly high-concept, as foreign films go, but it turns out that this is really a rambling, episodic, low-key picture about young love--the supernatural element is merely a pretext, a grabber. I'd even go so far as to call the movie incoherent, lurching as it does from scene to scene with little rhyme or reason; this is one of those instances in which SumOfParts TheWhole by a ratio of about 2:1. But there are so many memorably charming moments, and the young actors are so naturally tentative in their pursuit of l'amour fou, that I was happy to relax and follow the picture in whatever bizarre direction it wanted to take me. After seeing a jillion teen movies in which the youngsters are either (a) violent, nihilistic thugs en route to prison or an early grave, or (b) sweet, innocent young things trying to work up the nerve to hold hands, it was a pleasure to see one in which the two instincts were in direct competition. Recommended. (M. D'Angelo)[DVD Review—Dec. 11, 2007—Kino, 84 min., in Hebrew w/English subtitles, not rated, $24.95—Making its first appearance on DVD, 1996's Saint Clara features a so-so transfer with DVD extras including a stills gallery. Bottom line: a small extras package for an interesting film.]