The Vanishing Soldier

Watched the movie at Thessaloniki Film Festival I enjoyed the Vanishing Soldier - The direction is pacey, the main character likeable and it gives a glimpe of daily life in today's Israel that is even more timely at this time (Fall 2023), after the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

However I have to say I enjoyed it despite its flaws, which lie mostly in the script. A script that tries to balance betweem drama and screwball comedy at times and in the end cannot find the right analogy. There are too many comic substories which push crediblity at a point where it makes it improbable, without really adding anything. In the end it feels a bit like "American Pie and the Israeli army."

I watched this film in London at a film festival without knowing much about the subject matter. I was hugely impressed by the acting, the directing, the cinematography and the energy and pace of the film.

The country is living in a chaotic time and the young man at the centre of the story is trying to make some sense of the craziness of the period. He is young, he is in love, he wants to dream of a future but all around him is war. The clever shooting style perfectly connected with the young man's frenetic journey. I wish all the young talent associated with this film success - they deserve it!