Movies don’t come much odder than Footnote: a melodramatic comedy about the conflict between two generations of Talmudic scholars, one of whom (the older) is obsessed with his reputation, which is founded on a single footnote; the other a rising star with an easy charm and a public following (which does not include his father).
When a prestigious annual prize gets given to the wrong one by mistake, the issue becomes a lot more complicated – both funnier and more potentially tragic. Joseph Cedar’s film, whose focus on minute details is framed by a full-scale orchestral music score of the kind you don’t hear any more, shows just what you can do with a carefully constructed plot and lovingly drawn characters – even if, in the end, neither of them is particularly lovable. Footnote is one of those films that it’s almost impossible to persuade a wider audience they should go and see.
But it’s worth every minute, especially in a hysterically funny scene where far too many rather large Talmudic scholars find themseves squashed into a small room. Give yourself a treat and see this superb film.
– Nick Roddick, This Is London
Official Trailer