The Kind Words (2015) is an Israeli Canadian film written and directed by Shemi Zarhin.
This is a quest film. Three Israeli siblings--each very different from the other two--have just suffered the loss of their mother. Their father had previously divorced their mother, and is now living with his new wife, a beautiful singer. At that point, their father gives them a shocking revelation.
This revelation sends the thee siblings on a quest journey to Paris and then Marseilles. As I noted before, each sibling is different. One brother is married to a highly observant woman from Brooklyn. He's not really a believer, but he loves his wife, and he acts the role of an observant Jew to please her. The other brother is non-observant. He's gay and less intense than the others. The natural leader--and star of the film--is Rotem Zissman-Cohen as Dorona. Dorona is a sharp-tongued misanthrope.
Dorona is married to a man she apparently loves, although, true to her negative behavior, she is driving him away. However, he joins the three on their quest.
The quest itself is fascinating, and many things are learned, or, at least, suspected. Writer Zarhin doesn't force director Zahrin to tie up every loose end when the quest is over. However, all the characters have moved forward from where they were when they left Israel. I think things will be better for them when they return home.
We saw this movie at the Dryden Theatre in The George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY. It was screened as part of the excellent Rochester International Jewish Film Festival. It will work well on the small screen. It will be available on DVD on November 1, 2016.
P.S. The Rochester International Jewish Film Festival always has interesting movies. I'd also like to mention that it's the best managed film festival I've ever attended. Because of the hard work and expertise of the staff and volunteers, programs start on time, stay on time, and end on time. From ticket purchase to the end-of-festival party, everything works. My compliments to director Lori Harter and everyone else involved.
