This is a small Palestinian film about a man who was trained as a lawyer and judge, but now drives a taxi in the West Bank. It is his daughter's birthday and he has to work his shift and be home by night in time to celebrate with his family. As he goes about his mundane day, he gets increasingly frustrated by the situation in the area, telling people they can't ride with him if they have guns out, being harassed by the police, and telling riders he won't take them to check points. The Kafkaesque nightmare of the Palestinian bureaucracy is impossible for him to navigate as he tires to keep his cool.
The main actor in this, Mohammaed Bakri, is absolutely wonderful in the role. He's clearly a very proud and elegant man and loves his family. He understands the political situation he's in and recognizes that to keep everyone safe, his best bet is to stay far away from it. It is only when the situation of the environment comes to his (car)door, that he gets involved.
The film runs just over one hour (about 72 minutes) and its a nice, tight little short story. You get all the drama of a much longer story, but on a small scale. I like this movie a lot.
Stars: 3 of 4
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