Synopsis
Salma Zidane, a widow, lives simply from her grove of lemon trees in the West Bank's occupied territory. The Israeli defence minister and his wife move next door, forcing the Secret Service to order the trees' removal for security. The stoic Salma seeks assistance from the Palestinian Authority, Israeli army, and a young attorney, Ziad Daud, who takes the case. In this allegory, does David stand a chance against Goliath?
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Cast
- Hiam AbbassSelma Zidane
- Tarik KoptyAbu Hussam
- Ali SulimanZiad Daud
- Doron TavoryVerteidigungsminister
- Rona Lipaz-MichaelFrau des Verteidigungsministers
- Amos LaviCommander Jacob
- Amnon WolfLeibowitz
- Liron BaranesGilad
- Smadar JaaronTamar Gera
- Danny LeshmanPrivate Itamar 'Quickie'
Recommendations
- 90
The New York Times
A wrenching, richly layered feminist allegory as well as a geopolitical one. - 88
New York Post
You know a performance has to be special when a Palestinian wins Israel's version of the Best Actress Oscar. But why should politics detract from a stunning performance? - 80
Variety
The rare ability to make intelligent, entertaining cinema from hot-button current issues is beautifully illustrated by Lemon Tree. - 80
Salon
Something like a cross between a torn-from-the-headlines docudrama, a Middle East conflict rendered in miniature and Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard," this latest film from the terrific Israeli director Eran Riklis revolves around the amazing lead performance of Palestinian-French actress Hiam Abbass. - 75
Boston Globe
Referencing the popular song, the movie's title reminds us that "the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat." That, in a rind, is Riklis's deeply frustrated view of his country's stalemate, but you can only take a metaphor so far before it falters in the face of endless geopolitical complexity. - 75
Philadelphia Inquirer
Israeli filmmaker Eran Riklis' Lemon Tree is a lively deadpan comedy which, like his prior film "The Syrian Bride," satirizes Israel's bureaucrats while remaining sympathetic to citizens who live within and adjacent to Israel's disputed borders. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
The cast is uniformly fine, but Abbass and Lipaz-Michael shine as two women who bond in the fear that the best of their lives is over and neither of them is happy with what the future holds. - 67
The A.V. Club
This story--or stories like it--has been told and re-told too often. Lemon Tree works best when Riklis cuts out the predictable melodrama and trusts the fertility of his central metaphor.
