SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN (Omri Givon, Israel/France/Hungary). 94 minutes. Subtitled. Monday (April 19), 5:45 pm, Bloor Cinema Tuesday (April 20), 6:45 pm, Cineplex Odeon Sheppard Centre. See listings. Rating: NNNN
Omri Givon’s atmospheric, artful drama about a woman (Reymonde Amsellem) struggling to put herself back together in the aftermath of a terrorist bombing marks the intersection of Israel’s political and commercial cinemas. As Amsellem’s traumatized Galia sleepwalks through her recovery and mourns the death of her boyfriend, Seven Minutes In Heaven sketches the image of a culture that’s been forced to incorporate sudden, shocking tragedy into its nervous system.
Givon’s fragmentary, dread-laden plot feels like a particularly confident blend of tropes loved by Atom Egoyan and M. Night Shyamalan – and I mean that in a good way.
