‘The Band’s Visit’ a delightful comedy

If you enjoy foreign films and subtitles, “The Band’s Visit” will give you a pleasant night’s entertainment.

Although the dialogue flips between English, Arabic and Hebrew, the subtitles continue to ensure the audience understands what is being said.

The Alexandria Ceremonial Orchestra, made up of members of the Egyptian police force, is sent to play for the opening of an Arab arts center in Israel.

The band is given the wrong information and gets off the bus in a small Israeli desert town.

They have only Egyptian money, there is no hotel in the town, there is no transportation until morning and they are the enemy.

The scenario is listed as a comedy/drama, but it is only comedic in the same vein as “Life is Beautiful.” The intensity of emotional exchanges between the characters pulls the viewer into their lives.

This is a study in the human side of this long-time conflict between two nations. It exposes the similarities rather than the differences between the cultures, thereby emphasizing a common ground.

There is no violence, no explicit sex and only one outburst of strong language, which is why the movie carries a PG-13 rating.

The actor’s names may not be familiar to the American audience, but the faces and emotions of the characters will leave a lasting impression. Watching “The Band’s Visit” is a pleasant way to spend an evening.

Rating: A

—Cynthia Praefke
Staff Writer

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