She's Not 17

A few major characters from NOA AT 17 are back. Some forty years have passed in the historical background, and the characters seem to have aged by only twenty-five or so, but the inconsistency is easily forgiven for art's sake. There is so much to catch up on, though. The movie begins by introducing what you'd expect to be the engine of the plot-- a proposal to save money by sending the aged founders away from the very homes they built-- but it quickly detours to the complicated personal relationships within Noa's family. No fewer than three characters arrive separately from overseas to participate in the recounting of intervening action since the first movie. By the time we're caught up, we haven't got very far with the question that started the film but we've seen some fine acting and we have some then-and-now perspective on the characters, who are archetypes of recent Israeli generations. Instead of having forty years of family life emerge retrospectively from conversation, it would have been a treat to see it all played out in ten or twelve episodes, with these wonderful actors and characters, but what's true of the kibbutz budget is true of the Israeli film industry: the money just isn't there.

Mr. Yeshurun, if you're reading this, please fill in the rest of the details of the cast and crew.