The Holy Land

Eitan Gorlin's ironically-titled film depicts a side of life in Israel rarely glimpsed onscreen--the seedy secular demimonde of bars and brothels, where Palestinian troublemakers and Jewish extremists rub shoulders as they hoist drinks and ogle the dancers. Unfortunately, the story itself isn't nearly as compelling. To wit: a yeshiva student so wayward in his studies that his rabbi suggests an extreme cure--namely, visit a prostitute and, through a single sexual experience, rid himself of temptation--ends up swooning over a vivacious Russian émigré and through her becomes involved with an Arab smuggler and a Jewish settler called The Exterminator. The characters' motives grow increasingly fuzzy as relationships develop; apart from the naïve young protagonist, everyone has an agenda of his or her own and seems more than willing to manipulate the others to achieve it. So, while the milieu Gorlin creates--of a polyglot group of fringe-dwellers engaged in all sorts of activities on the other side of the law (not to mention conventional morality)--is fascinating, The Holy Land ultimately lacks focus, and by the time a twist ending abruptly arrives, it's truly falling apart. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include an audio commentary (by writer/director Eitan Gorlin, and costars Tchelet Semel, Oren Rehany, and Saul Stein), a 10-minute behind-the-scenes featurette featuring Gorlin, a three-minute IFC “At the Angelika” (Film Center) interview with Gorlin, a four-minute segment on the “Opening Night Party,” and a five-minute slideshow photo album, narrated by Gorlin. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a flawed indie effort.] (F. Swietek)