The Cousin

An Israeli television producer (Tsahi GRAD) brings a Palestinian craftsman (Ala DAKKA) into his middle-class neighborhood for upcoming renovations, causing considerable chaos. After all, a young woman from the neighboring house has just been harassed. Both the neighbors and the police who were called believe that it could only have been the Palestinian stranger.

A small film from Israel that deals with a major topic from everyday interpersonal life. The film thrives on its two main characters. Tsahi GRAD plays a liberal do-gooder, the likes of whom Woody ALLEN couldn't have imagined better. And Ala DAKKA once again convinces as an Arabic-speaking citizen who effortlessly wins everyone's sympathy thanks to his dachshund-like gaze. But it also becomes clear how quickly all these misunderstandings can lead to serious complications in a society as charged as Israel's (even in 2017). Unfortunately, the film overall underutilizes its potential. Somehow, the final urgency is missing, so the plot meanders along too slowly.

The nominations Tsahi GRAD has received for the Israeli film award OPHIR as an actor and screenwriter are almost impossible to count. In 2013, he was nominated for his role in the excellent shocker BIG BAD WOLVES. Ala DAKKA has also received two more OPHIR nominations following his nomination for THE COUSIN (in 2021 for IMAGE OF VICTORY and in 2023 for THE MONKEY HOUSE). With his role as a boxer from the West Bank, Ala DAKKA shaped the third season of the outstanding Netflix series FAUDA in 2019. In the 2023 series EAST SIDE, which is currently airing on the European cultural channel ARTE, he played a gay Arab from the East Side of Jerusalem.

The film title THE COUSIN refers to the close relationship that exists between the world religions Judaism and Islam, both of which can claim Abraham as their forefather.

Tsahi Grad is credited as a producer of this picture, as well as writer, director, and star. Unfortunately, while the writer was concentrating on creating suspenseful situations for the star (who performs them admirably), he forgot that a story, and especially one with an element of mystery, not only needs a proper ending-- even if it's not a neat resolution-- but also needs to prepare for that ending by familiarizing the audience in advance with the people and events involved. The script of "The Cousin" skips past too much as it concentrates on cat-and-mouse between the protagonist and the crime suspect (and between conflicting inclinations in the protagonist's mind). Some of the missing material is part of the mystery and is thus legitimately left out, but other material is just underdeveloped. I'm not sure that's the reason, but as a theatrical release "The Cousin" disappeared quickly. I caught it on Netflix. It's well worth watching, but a few more minutes of filling in background would have done it a lot of good.