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Reviews Counted:63
Fresh:58
Rotten:5
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: A positive and personal Israeli film that offers an understated and thought-provoking vision of the West Bank troubles.
Theatrical Release:12-12-2008
Synopsis: Salma Zidane (Hiam Abbass), a 45 years old widow from a small Palestinian village in the West bank, finds herself at war with the Israeli Minister of Defense (Doron Tavory) who built his house on... [More]
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Ali Suliman, Rona Lipaz-Michael, Doron Tavory
Director: Eran Riklis
It’s a neat microcosm of the conflict, although a touch manipulative with the sympathies lying a little too heavily on the side of the Palestinians, with Salma a stoic, saintly presence and her neighbour merely an arrogant bully.
A positive and personal look at the Israel/ Palestine divide through the quest of one woman to maintain her own property.
Top CriticInspired by a real-life incident, this captivating Israeli film is both a compelling story of self-determination and an astute evaluation of the current state of a divided territory.
Top CriticA poignant performance from Hiam Abbas lies at the heart of this allegorical drama which is sensitively observed and patiently directed by Eran Riklis.
Top CriticIt’s a film rich with symbolism, from the fortified fence that separates Salma from much of her land to the lemons and the disputed earth that grows them.
Top CriticDirector Riklis tries to make everyone look good - or at least human - and his film remains liberal to the end.
Top CriticClearly, the story relates to the Israeli-Palestinian divide – Lemon Tree is not a film for those who like their metaphors understated. Yet it is remarkable for the mere presence of Hiam Abbass alone.
Top CriticUnderstated and thought-provoking, and alongside The Visitor should establish Abbass as a major female presence in international cinema.
It will find an enthusiastic audience among those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, who will find it a revealing analysis as opposed to one-sided agit-prop.
Israeli director Eran Riklis should be applauded for approaching it in such a reflective manner in this clear analogy for a divided land.
Riklis seems never to have heard the words “Meir” or “Thatcher”. Nor, in a film parlaying its message in a series of humdrum tableaux naïfs, the word “cinematic”.
Lemon Tree offers no solution to the ancient struggles of ownership in the West Bank, but it shines a tender, humane light on the individual lives it continues to disrupt.
The Lemon Tree, though quite plainly made, is another feather in the cap of the director who made the equally affecting The Syrian Bride.
Impressively directed, emotionally engaging Israeli drama with a terrific central performance from Hiam Abbass.
It's not easy to make a personal drama in Israel that doesn't quickly become overwhelmed in politics, but this film cleverly balances both elements.
En general no me gusta decir que una película es "necesaria" (un facilismo rimbombante en el que suelen caer muchos críticos), pero en este caso debo hacer una excepción.
Abbass's starkly moving performance and the film's closing shots make this metaphor for the unsolvable unforgettable.
Eran Riklis, who directed and co-wrote with Suha Arraf (they also collaborated on The Syrian Bride), has made a compelling movie that takes its strength from the ground-level picture it gives of the human aspect of the problems in that part of the world.
The vivid cinematography gives the viewer glimpses of scenic locations throughout Israel. This is a quiet and somber journey that allows lots of time for thought and reflection on the current state of affairs in the Middle East.
While the entire cast is very good, Abbass must carry most of the film, with little dialogue. Her subtly expressive face is a script unto itself, conveying everything from formal, traditional modesty to angry defiance.
April 19, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review 
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