'Lemon Tree' review

Sweet, not sour, portrait of a different kind of Middle Eastern conflict

By Geoff Berkshire

Posted April 16, 2009

Metromix

Palestinian widow Salma Zidane (Hiam Abbass) lives a quiet, solitary life tending to an orchard of lemon trees that has been in her family for decades. But when Israeli Defense Minister Israel Navon (Doron Tavory) and his wife Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael) move in next door, military officials tell Salma that the trees have to go because they might provide shelter to terrorists seeking to harm Navon. Refusing to budge, Salma hires dashing attorney Ziad Daud (Ali Suliman) who takes her case to the Israeli Supreme Court where it becomes an international media sensation.

The buzz: An audience award winner at the Berlin film festival, "Lemon Tree" is the latest from Israeli filmmaker Eran Riklis whose film "The Syrian Bride" also starred Abbass and also received an international release.

The verdict: A minor work on a major subject, "Lemon Tree" boils Middle Eastern conflict down to two lonely women—Salma and Mira—separated by borders both literal and figurative. That the simplistic storyline works at all is a credit to Abbass (who deserved an Oscar nomination for her supporting role in last year's indie hit "The Visitor") and Lipaz-Michael, both quietly devastating in their roles. The film is far too modest to give itself over to the melodrama that might be wrought from the forbidden romance between Salma and Ziad or Mira's decision to talk to a reporter behind her husband's back, but the actresses manage to make those turns feel big anyway. Riklis' genial approach may seem naive in the face of monumental struggles, but there's no harm in putting a human face on a cultural conflict, especially when the faces are so moving.

Did you know? Abbass was nominated for a European Film Award for her work here, competing with Golden Globe winner Sally Hawkins from "Happy-Go-Lucky." Both actresses lost to Kristin Scott-Thomas' performance in "I've Loved You So Long."