A successful family might be defined as one in which every member consistently handles his or her responsibilities. In many cases, those tasks and duties aren’t defined or discussed — they’re just understood.
Such is the case with the observant Jerusalem family at the center of “Tehilim” — until the father vanishes one morning. Only after he’s been gone for a while do we discern that he was the glue that kept the Frankels together.
Raphael Nadjari’s fascinating, open-ended film is a mystery without any clues. It is also, more tangibly, a character study of a disoriented teenager drifting into desperation.
Like “My Father My Lord,” the excellent Israeli film that recently played in Bay Area theaters, “Tehilim” questions the connection of religion to the real world, and the value of faith and prayer in the face of catastrophe. But in stark contrast to that film’s contemplative tone and studied artfulness, “Tehilim” is shot in a raw documentary style that bristles with nervous energy.
“Tehilim,” which premiered in the prestigious competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, screens Thursday, July 31 at the Castro Theatre’s final night of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, and also plays in Palo Alto and San Rafael. The film is co-presented by the Israel Center and the Peninsula Jewish Community Center.
Following Eli Frankel’s disappearance, the film points in the direction of an existential thriller. Then it shifts to an up-close but coolly detached portrait of a family melting down in slow motion, focusing on teenage son Menachem
The Frankels are a religious family, but there were cracks in the façade even before this crisis. Menachem would slip off his yarmulke in the stairwell when he went out at night to see his new girlfriend, perhaps an act of rebellion or just a sign that he’s grappling with his identity.
When their world is rocked off its axis, Menachem stops attending classes and sinks into depression. His mother can handle the big-picture stuff, but she’s too numb even to pack lunch for Menachem’s little brother.
So David has to rely on Menachem to feed him and get him to school. With Eli gone, roles up for grabs and individual responsibilities reshuffled, it’s inevitable that someone’s going to screw up.
Nadjari employs tight close-ups and quick cuts that let us see only part of what’s going on in a scene. The effect is enhanced by an ongoing lack of communication; on the frustrating occasions when family members speak to each other, they talk at cross-purposes.
Consequently, the film deftly turns us into active viewers trying to interpolate missing pieces of each interaction even as we’re deciphering the evolving family dynamic.
Meanwhile, the gritty, pedestrian reality of “Tehilim” — Jerusalem has never looked less beautiful and more like every other urban center — doesn’t exactly encourage us to see God in every detail. God, perhaps like Eli, has left the family to its own devices.
I wish the movie had given us more of the mother’s point of view; while the added layer would have eliminated some of the mystery and ambiguity, it would have added dimension to Menachem’s essentially solo journey.
“Tehilim” is a gripping film, no small achievement given that the story is propelled by tiny incidents (after Eli’s disappearance) rather than major plot developments.
The sole exception is when Menachem concocts a desperate scheme to bring his father back. His failure is inevitable, but he clears a path for the Frankels to move forward.
“Tehilim” screens at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 31 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, 6:15 p.m. Aug. 3 at the CineArts @ Palo Alto Square and 6:15 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael. Information: www.sfjff.org.