Mosaic Film “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem”

This Israeli Film (Hebrew/French with English Subtitles) is simply one of the most dramatically charged, moving and intelligent movies I have seen in a long time. Viviane (Ronit Elkabetz) only wants one thing in her life; a Gett from her estranged  husband, Elisha (Shimon Abkarian), with whom she has not lived for a long while after a loveless marriage, which produced 4 children. The entire film takes place in two rooms in the Rabbinic Court, in front of three Rabbinic Judges, advocates and various witnesses. Despite this I did not find it claustrophobic. The script is electric, full of pathos and acidic humour. The acting is outstanding, pulling our sympathies in both directions. Whereas we might not agree with the religious basis of the “Gett”, we cannot help but feel for both protagonists, in very different ways. Tony Fineberg writes: “I can’t wait to see it again. One measure of a good film is the fact that you lose track of time. This one is 1hr 54 mins, and I didn’t look at my watch once!”