Metallic Blues (2004)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Dan Verete

Writers:

Thomas Stiller (co-writer)
Dan Verete (writer)

Release Date:

31 March 2005 (Israel)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Tomer Ben David	...	Gaby Ben Hamo
Harald Burmeister	...	Police Custom 1
Konstantin Graudus	...	Policeman 1 Hotel
Christoph Hagen Dittmann	...	Son of Car Salesman
Kalle Haverland	...	German Man at Airport
Hannes Hellmann	...	Manager Autohaus Decker
Lutz Herkenrath	...	Waiter
Kai Hufnagel	...	Police Station Officer
Moshe Ivgy	...	Siso
Stephan Kampwirth	...	Policeman at Junction
Nilüfer Kiel	...	Attendant Gift Shop
Avi Kushnir	...	Shmuel
Ulrich Matschoss	...	Old Reception Clerk
Joachim Millies	...	Car Salesman (as Hans-Joachim Millies)
Rolf Nagel	...	Elderly Man
Marte Schwiers	...	Airline Attendant
Rita Shukrun	...	Adina Ben Hamo
Atto Suttarp	...	Customs Clerk
Oliver Warsitz	...	Conductor
Julia Weden	...	Information Clerk Woman
Björn Wenner	...	Manager
Christopher Zumbült	...	Reception Clerk

Runtime:

Israel:90 min

Country:

Canada | Germany | Israel

Language:

English | German | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Hamburg, Germany

Company:

Gemini Film

Definitely Blue, not necessarily Metallic

Perhaps I could blame the playbill at the Philadelphia International Film Fest, but I was hoping for slightly more comedic angle to Dan Verete's film. Whereas the drama that is unveiled on certain events within is strong, and the characters of Sisso and Shmuel well written, the story became both predictable and bulky. Many of the comparisons between Israel and Germany had so much subtle humor that it is unfortunate that style of humor was ignored as their plot to unload the Lincoln limo rambled on without so much as a road map. Key parts of the story would have had such a richer element of drama to it if more humor was added - and at times such humor was almost begging to be entered. With METALLIC BLUES, Verete writes a different kind of road movie and even a different kind of a buddy movie. The film definitely captures that European feel to it - right down to the ending as a matter of fact. The film even nicely portrays the everyday lives of two Israeli men in the 21st Century without burdening this Gentile with insider Jewish "tsuris." Regrettably, the film suffers displaying the mediocrity of the situation when so many alternate cinematic paths could have resulted in a stronger story.