Yana's Friends
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Movie Reviews of Yana's Friends
Movie Review: Yofi! (that means great!)
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie was what they call a good "tragicomedy" in Russia. It had its almost hopeless moments, yet showed what the perseverance and hope one has can do and what fruit they will bear. The movie had a very unexpected and charming ending :)Those who watch it, will not be disappointed (unless they only want to cry like the reviewer before me). And I am from Russia too, and lived there in the 90's, so don't listen to the disenchanted. This movie will give you a reason to hope and to smile :)
Movie Review: Nice film from first-time writer/director Arik Kaplun
Summary: 4 Stars
We're always looking for Israeli films that can join the list of the half-a-dozen really great pieces of work we've seen from that country's filmmakers. Those works (in no particular order...these are all fantastic) are:
The Syrian Bride
Time of Favor
Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi
Broken Wings
Late Marriage
Walk on Water
That's not to say that all Israeli films are great - I wasn't fond of Amos Gitai's Kedma or Kadosh, for example. [I'm not meaning to single out Gitai - those are simply the first two that pop into my head as examples.]
"Yana's Friends" falls somewhere in the middle. I'm not going to go out of my way to recommend it (whereas I've recommended Walk on Water to no less than 20 people), but I thought it nicely done and educational, too. The juxtaposition of the Russian emigrant experience with the first Gulf War made for very interesting backdrop to these three intersecting tales. The most prominent and compelling tale is that of new emigre Yana, victim of a scam perpetrated on her by, of all people, her husband. Yana is played winsomely by Evelyn Kaplun, who I recognized from The Syrian Bride (2004).
This was a nice film from first-time writer/director Arik Kaplun. He won the Israeli equivalent of an Oscar for directing and screenwriting (I also note on IMDB that he's Ms. Kaplun's husband). Such a promising start...I wonder why nothing since?
Movie Review: Entertaining, quirky immigrant comedy
Summary: 4 Stars
"Yana's Friends" is a light movie about a young pregnant Russian woman left alone in Israel by her husband, with only her philandering roommate and rude landlady to watch over her. The exploits of poor Russian immigrant are humorized, with the Gulf War as an often-comic backdrop. The film never loses its charm; the characters are always entertaining. Although funnier if you speak Russian, anyone can enjoy a sweet movie like this one.Movie Review: SCUDS and Love in Tel Aviv
Summary: 3 Stars
"Yana's Friends" is an innocent story of being lost, finding love, and surviving several SCUD missile attacks. It is a multi-lingual with universal messages, which pulls from relevant moments in Tel Aviv history. "Yana" makes successful leaps and bounds, unlike most American films, by keeping our conflicts and comedy centralized while remaining focused. An old apartment building is our destination as Yana and her husband arrive with a hefty bank note in hand and a surprising "bun-in-the-oven", while macho man Eli seduces women and parties the nights away as a wedding photographer. Add to this mix a couple with a WWII veteran, a street musician, and a rusty old landlord who is about to recapture her youth, and "Yana's Friends" finally takes shape. This is a soaring skyscraper, character driven film that is part comedy, mostly drama, creatively building tension around the violence of the 1991 Gulf War. The film is simple at first, becoming complicated over time, but never forgetting its roots. It is emotional, far from the cannon of pure comedy; the lacked translation transforms it into an absurdist drama that could bring tears. "Yana's Friends" is a completely solid entry into the world of foreign films and groundling strengths, alas, it isn't perfect.
The way that "Yana's Friends" works is such, the first thirty minutes are exciting, building new characters, introducing them to their quirks and settling down, it is the second act, and the choppy third where we loose momentum and finally some steam. The dismal center of this film is important, it is needed to get character A to character B, but ultimately does it have to be so depressing? As Yana struggles with her newfound freedom, she lashes out - in an unfunny scene (though it was meant to carry some humor) she attempts to plow through the airport and board a plane she is not allowed to. It is embarrassing for our characters and for us as we see this event take shape - and it feels awkward. As she returns, she lashes out towards her friends and ultimately falls in love. Again, these scenes become ridged in nature, never quite bringing that solidarity needed for audiences to completely fall for Yana and her crew. It is the apartment owner's sudden realization that again, is cute at first, but fails to become poignant by the film's end. "Yana's Friends" boasted a solid opening, where director Arik Kaplun could spread his creativity, his originality widely, but then he rushed the end. Perhaps it is the time-frame of the film, or the inability to answer "why", but Yana just twittered from one man to the next, looking for the same thing we, as audiences, were looking for - that solid piece of art that we could hold onto.
Yet, there is a place for "Yana's Friends" within the history of cinema. This opens the door to Israeli films, a genre that I haven't explored enough, and it conquers the theme of beginning with nothing and ending with emotions stronger than any inanimate object you could own. The concept of immigration in this foreign film was intriguing to watch, to explore really, as it felt like events that could relate throughout the world. As we enter a new era of war and love, one could envision this happening anywhere - which makes "Yana's Friends" stand out. The comedy was missing, but perhaps that was just the lacking subtitles. This was a good film, just not a powerful one as the box touts. I could suggest this film to friends, perhaps I could watch it again, but it not a film to have in the collection. "Yana's Friends" delighted me to watch, but the lacking ending and trivialized characters forced it out of perfection.
Grade: *** ½ out of *****