Broken Wings Review

An Israeli family comes to terms with the untimely death of its patriarch.

by Natasha Aitkin |
Published on
Release Date:

06 Jun 2003

Running Time:

84 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Broken Wings

One thing you can always rely on is the turmoil and angst that goes hand-in-hand with family life - and as first-time feature director Nir Bergman proves, it's the same across the globe.

For one working-class Israeli household, laughter is particularly thin on the ground after the untimely death of their father - from a bee sting - leaves them dysfunctioning at full speed. As mother Dafna (Zilberschatz-Banai) distances herself from the children, 17-year-old daughter Maya (Maron) finds herself acting as matriarch to her three troubled siblings and losing her own teenage years in the bargain.

Broken Wings may prove a little rough around the edges for those who like their melodrama with plenty of chocolate sprinkles, but even without the gloss, the heartbreaking performances from a young and talented cast are especially moving, while a well-paced, witty and enlightening script make for a fine debut.
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