Close to Home (Karov La Bayit) (2005)

68% of critics liked it
(34 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(2,346 ratings)

Two women with little in common are brought together by the shared annoyances of military service in this comedy drama from Israel. Mirit (Naama Schendar) is an 18-year-old woman serving her compulsory hitch with the Israeli Army in Jerusalem, and while she's hardworking and dedicated, the rigid… More Two women with little in common are brought together by the shared annoyances of military service in this comedy drama from Israel. Mirit (Naama Schendar) is an 18-year-old woman serving her compulsory hitch with the Israeli Army in Jerusalem, and while she's hardworking and dedicated, the rigid discipline goes against her free-spirited nature and she's not sure how she feels about her work, especially when it means being ordered to harass Arabs by her superior officer, Dubek (Irit Suki). Another soldier in the same platoon, Smadar (Smadar Sayar), can't be said to have mixed feelings about the Army -- she clearly hates it and begs her wealthy and influential parents to have her transferred. When Mirit and her friends openly rebel against Dubek, Smadar sides with the officer, and relations between Mirit and Smadar are strained until a terrorist bombing puts the two women on common ground. They soon land a cushy assignment checking baggage at a luxury hotel, but when Mirit has a brief fling with a guest at the inn, it throws her military career in a tailspin, and Smadar is powerless to help her friend. Karov la Bayit (aka Close to Home) was the first feature film for the writing and directing team of Vidi Bilu and Dalia Hager. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Vidi Bilu, Dalia Hager
Written By: Vidi Bilu, Dalia Hager, Vardit Bilu
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 16, 2007 Limited
On DVD: Jun 19, 2007
Studio: IFC First Take

Critic Reviews

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star
While Close to Home follows a predictable path in its story, it's not without its charms, much of it down to the very believable portrayal of the young soldiers who view many of their duties with the world-weariness of terminally bored teens.
Kamal Al-Solaylee, Globe and Mail
Both [main actresses] show their characters' growth while steadfastly and, sadly, unsuccessfully trying to hold on to the last vestiges of their innocence. If that's not the real tragedy of life in the Middle East, I don't know what is.
Lael Loewenstein, Los Angeles Times
Although its location and plot points are worlds away from typical Hollywood teen-angst fare, some of its themes are undeniably universal.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
This movie just seems like a scattered excuse to make political points without saying much of anything. Worse, it also fails to show us, with any vividness, how Mirit and Smadar think and feel as women.
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
One of the rare movies from Israel that refuses to spell out its politics, and you may wind up grateful for the ambiguity.
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
Like many Israeli films, Close to Home is strikingly sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians and, as such, qualifies as exemplary humanism under the most extreme pressure.
Jordan Hiller, Bangitout.com
Our wide eyed, angel faced chayalot drift hypnotized toward the center of the chaos and we realize that in Israel, there cannot be a movie about just regular teenage girls
Christopher Campbell, Cinematical
Close to Home is no buddy-cop, action-comedy ... it leaves out the action and the comedy so all that is left is a predictable narrative with no entertainment appeal.
Brian Gibson, Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
A haunting autopsy of how the personal can obliterate the political, as the oppressors rationalize, repress and then casually repeat the day-to-day injustices they're paid to commit for a society eager to forget its sins.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
An uncanny coming-of-age examination of the different ways in which two young women adapt to circumstances beyond their control to survive a situation bigger than the both of them.
Angela Baldassarre, Sympatico.ca
One of the most unusual coming-of-age stories I've ever seen, "Close to Home" offers the same teen-angst themes as some American movies but against a backdrop of war and politics.
Patrick Peters, Empire Magazine
A slyly subversive insight into the role of women in the Israeli military, this is a surprisingly compassionate satire that makes its political points without resorting to caricature.
Andrew Pulver, Guardian [UK]
A sympathetic, subtly observed account of Israeli girl soldiers.
Matthew Leyland, BBC
More a buddy movie than a political one, it nonetheless captures the festering tensions of a divided city.
Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly
The movie is awkwardly mounted and formlessly episodic as it meanders from one day to the next, finally losing itself in a forest of coming-of-age clichés.
Phil Hall, Film Threat
Solemn, abrasive, connect-the-dots predictable and fairly dull. The two young leads are terrible actors, which only makes matters worse.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
An intimate and well-realized coming-of-age drama about two Israeli teenagers doing obligatory military service in Jerusalem.
Mark Holcomb, Time Out New York
Though the subject matter is original, and these young soldiers portrayed with great sympathy, Close to Home would have benefited from more disciplined storytelling.

Read all 18 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Luke B

A very personal and human story detailing the acts those enlisted on military service must go through is Israel. It shows the humiliation they must inflict on others and the humiliation they feel in return, as they stop every Arab they see for Identity checks. It's perfectly… More
A very personal and human story detailing the acts those enlisted on military service must go through is Israel. It shows the humiliation they must inflict on others and the humiliation they feel in return, as they stop every Arab they see for Identity checks. It's perfectly understandable for all viewers in the time of a war on terror. We understand why these checks must be carried out but also the anger of those being checked. Add to ths the fact that the two main girls are just that. They giggle about crushes and lust after hats.Even the ball busting superior officer shows she is just a girl at heart by making out with boys down alleys and getting excited over sweaters. It all amplifies how these are young women doing a very difficult and admirable job. Neither really enjoys their job though one will do anything to make sure it is done whilst the other refuses to degrade herself. As their friendship grows so does their understanding of each other. It's frightful, funny and quite shocking when the reasons for such tight security are shown to us. The final scene is just perfect in tone and execution as everybody reaches emotional boiling point.
Mark A

How memorable is this movie? I watched, thinking, "I've seen this part," all the way through. Only when I got to the end, did I realize I had seen the whole thing before. The girls are lovely, but never seem to understand the seriousness of what they are doing. They are… More
How memorable is this movie? I watched, thinking, "I've seen this part," all the way through. Only when I got to the end, did I realize I had seen the whole thing before. The girls are lovely, but never seem to understand the seriousness of what they are doing. They are young, and innocent and just out to have a good time. They spend their days trying to dodge the inspection patrols and do just enough to stay out of trouble. The lack of any particular focus for the story makes this a forgettable film. Still. I've sat through it twice now, so it can't be all bad.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Close to Home" takes place in Jerusalem, following a mini-revolt by one of the female soldiers assigned to search Palestinian women at a border crossing. One of the new recruits, Mirit(Neama Shendar), is assigned to partner with Smadar(Smadar Sayar),… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Close to Home" takes place in Jerusalem, following a mini-revolt by one of the female soldiers assigned to search Palestinian women at a border crossing. One of the new recruits, Mirit(Neama Shendar), is assigned to partner with Smadar(Smadar Sayar), to check the ID's of Arab men on the streets. But Mirit is not happy with this assignment, and wants her father to use his influence to get her transferred to a post away from home.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Close to Home" is a movie with political overtones about how simple situations can often quickly get out of control. On the one hand, it explores the perpetual harrassment of Arab men in Israel who are presumed guilty of a crime before one has been committed.(One character asks: what does an Arab look like? It is a valid question.) On the other, it is about how women are employed in the Israeli army and the drudgery of the jobs they are assigned. In return, they are more interested in dodging their superiors than in performing their duties. They are only human, after all.[/font]