Bee Season

This is one of the most powerful movies I've ever seen. Richard Gere gives, in my opinion, a career-best performance, and don't be too surprised if you see his name in a many Best Actor nominee lists pretty soon. Julia Binoche is flawlessly observant and unendingly compassionate toward her very damaged character...the portrayal is done perfectly, with no mental scar left unillustrated. But the secret weapon of this movie is Flora Cross- words cannot begin to describe how talented this young actress is, and it boggles my mind to conceptualize the future work awaiting her.

This movie is powerful because it details, much more authentically than films like "Ordinary People" and "American Beauty", the way a family can start out with the hopes of happiness and the grasp toward achievement, community, and fulfillment, but end up discovering what, alas, we all discover eventually- that our need for control and refinement and altering others' lives often leads to ours and their unhappiness. "Bee Season" also evokes the need of God in our lives- in whatever way we define that, whether it be religious community, personal spirituality, or deep connections to others. Mostly, the message of this film seems to be that spirituality, as Saul defines it, often disconnects and alienates, rather than connects and fulfills. Oftentimes the little embraces and big love we give to our families and friends on a day-to-day basis constitute divinity in our lives.

A+...Powerful...You don't want to miss it.

Imagine growing up in a family of academics, musicians, and Jewish mystics. When 12-year-old Eliza (Flora Cross) wins both the district and regional spelling bees, her father, Saul (Richard GereJewish mysticism, begins to tutor her daily. Not only is he preparing her for the state spelling bee competition, but Saul is also training his daughter to be the mystic he wasn't able to become. Bee Season is not only a movie about meditation, but it is also itself a meditation. This family is consumed with finding God, but they all look outside of the family to find it, and in the process, the family falls apart. Eliza's older brother Aaron (Max Minghella) is so jealous that his sister is getting all of the family's attention that he goes off and joins a Buddhist cult, and everyone in the family is so focused on their own problems that no one notices the mother (Juliette Binoche) going slowly insane! Bee Season is transcendent and thought-provoking, and it even makes me want to go out and look for God.

BEE SEASON is a strange little film that seems to polarize the public. Though many have dismissed it as fragmentary and superficial, taking the time to bear down on the issues merely touched upon yields an emotional as well as spiritual experience not often found in films. With a cast that includes Juliette Binouche and Richard Gere there should be a hint there may be more to the film than a quick glance might reveal.

Based on the highly successful novel by Myla Goldberg the story enters the household of a family of four: Saul (Richard Gere) is the father who is a professor of spiritual studies; Miriam (Juliette Binouche) is the mother suffering with demons from her past loss of her parents as a child leading her to grow without an intact family; Eliza (Flora Cross) is the daughter who seems content to watch TV instead of paying attention to her schooling; and Aaron (Max Minghella) is the son who excels at playing the cello and who is the focus of his father's life. When it is discovered that Eliza has a penchant for spelling and wins a spelling bee the focus of this family abruptly changes. Suddenly Saul moves his attention to Eliza, convinced that she has the power of the influx of God-knowledge (shefa) described by the Kabbalist Abraham Abulafia. This leads to his prepping her for her constant victories at spelling bees, but it also leaves Aaron without focus and he responds by seeking first Christianity then Hare Krishna for the meaning of his life. At the same time Miriam becomes more isolated and secretive and enters a state of depression that reflects her childhood loss and the need to accumulate 'things' in a number of ways that border on mental breakdown.

The film is best viewed, by the way, by first watching the featurette about the reasons for the making of the film - a wise commentary that gives us enough philosophical background to appreciate the message of the story that seemingly has eluded directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel. Watching the explanation of how religions all act to provide frameworks that should help individuals to piece together the fragments of existence that have been given to us as our lives serves to bring into focus how each of the four characters in this story is each on that journey for meaning. Once viewed, this featurette makes the movie far more meaningful and enjoyable.

The screenplay by Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal (yes, the mother of Maggie and Jake) is minimalist in technique of writing, giving just enough information about the big questions to make us work to paste the story together. The cinematography by Giles Nuttgens and special effects by Sean House are used extraordinarily well to underline the mysticism that permeates the film's story. Peter Nashel's musical score accompanies the otherworldly atmosphere that helps to bring the audience into the mood of the film.

This may not be a great film, but it is a unique one that calls upon the audience to think and free-associate with the characters, each of whom is well enacted by a strong cast. Well worth viewing. Grady Harp

Since I have not read the novel upon which Bee Season is based, I cannot evaluate the film's interpretation of the book. It seems, however, that there is more occurring within the characters of this story that is not stated or developed within the screenplay. And unfortunately more needed to be conveyed, and developed in order for this film to affect the audience in a useful way. Plot Summary: The film is about an intellectual, dynamic family. Eliza (Flora Cross) enters a school spelling bee, wins, and soon realizes she has the ability to visualize words and their correct spelling. She says she feels and sees the word "talking to her." Her father, Saul Naumann (Richard Gere), a professor of Judaic Mysticism at a San Francisco university later decides that Eliza has the unique ability to speak to God. He becomes preoccupied with nurturing and developing this "gift" within his daughter, and in the process falls out of touch with his son Aaron (Max Minghella), who becomes disillusioned with his faith in Judaism and rebels against the influences of his father. Aaron begins studying Buddhism after meeting a female romantic interest who is sympathetic to his expressed feelings of emptiness and detachment. Saul's Wife, Miriam (Juliette Binoche), struggles with her own detachment from reality as she continues to mourn the death of her parents who died in an accident when she was young girl. My Analysis: Like some of the characters in the film, I too left the film somewhat empty, or unfulfilled. I wanted to know more about what was going on with this family. The relationship between Gere's character and his son is somewhat familiar -- a son rebels against a father who is too strongly pushing his faith and interests. This form of rebellion seems typical of most adolescents. The mother and daughter share the unusual relationship; both of whom seem to possess certain supernatural powers. While it is the daughter's power to visualize and spell that is the focal point of the film, it may well be a similar ability that drives her mother to mental illness. The relationship between them should have been developed more, however. I wanted to know what the mystical-supernatural ability meant, but the screenplay doesn't explain much, and this is frustrating. In addition, when it becomes apparent that Miriam is suffering from a severe mental disorder and continues to mourn the death of her parents, I questioned why her husband was so utterly unaware of her suffering as it had been going on for some time. He was an intelligent man who had great concern for the welfare of his family, and it didn't seem to fit his character. The film might merely be about a domineering father and the influence his beliefs have over his family. But I'm hoping it's more than that. The story goes to pains to make it clear that there is a very real supernatural element at work here, but the film doesn't do enough to convey what this means and why it's important. I appreciate movies that are efficient, that don't hold my hand through everything and that give me credit for making inferences to tie a storyline together, or even leave the story purposely ambiguous so as to allow for interpretation, but in the case of the Bee Season, the subject matter is too abstruse and the story is too underdeveloped. I could not reach a satisfactory understanding of what occurred and why it was important. The acting was strong, however. Binoche, Gere and company make the best of an underdeveloped script. The quality of the acting makes the problems with the script even more frustrating because it seems like this film could have been much more.

Perhaps I wasn't in a particularly patient mood when I rented this flick, however I just couldn't finish it after an hour. The actors had no chemistry whatsoever. I adore Juliette Binoche, but there was no tension/attraction/emotion between her and her supposed husband played by Richard Gere. Richard Gere did not suit the role of a Jewish, brooding intellectual. Flora Cross was interesting and quirky, but again her relationship with other characters seemed forced. (I must say that I am a large fan of the chin cleft, it's a wonderful thing...). The entire book was dumbed down, the magic was rendered laughable. I suggest you spare yourself the experience.