Reports of the new Israeli film "Free Zone" have invariably focused on its opening shot, in which the camera sits silently for an extraordinarily long time, watching Natalie Portman cry in the back seat of a hired car. Those pieces might give the false impression that the film is inordinately concerned with its American star, or even that what her character is mourning matters much. To the contrary... Read the full review
A strong-willed, charismatic Israeli woman, Hanna is on her way to Jordan, to an ungoverned economic free zone of shady business transactions that is bordered by Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Looking for a quick "escape," Rebecca convinces a reluctant Hanna to take her along for the ride.
Director: Amos Gitai
Starring: Natalie Portman, Hanna Laszlo, Carmen Maura, Uri Klauzner, Makram Khouri
Run time: 90 minutes
Release date: April 7, 2006
Rating: Not rated.
Austin American-Statesman: 3 of 5 stars
"The film wanders like a shaggy-dog story from one plot of parched earth to another ... but it has a core that's involving regardless of its political interest."
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