What happens when you take a giant pot and mix in a cup of West Side Story, a teaspoon of heated middle-eastern fast foot establishments and a pinch of quirky songs with full choreography? Well, stir well and bake on crazy for about 30 minutes and you get the 2006 Academy Award winner for Best Action Short Film, West Bank Story.
The first thing you will notice about the film is that two opposing restaurants, the Hummus Hut and Kosher King, break out into song on the dirt-paved roads of the West Bank. Now why would a Palestinian-owned hummus eatery and an Israeli-owned falafel establishment be feuding and exchanging lyrical bullets at one another? Well the story runs deeper than pastry and witty dance moves.
You find yourself lodged into a full fledged middle eastern love story that only West Bank Story could get away with. Fatima, a Palestinian clerk at the Hummus Hut, has fallen in love with an Israeli soldier named David. But the constant West Bank struggle between the two sides creates a forbidden bond between the two. An obstructed love that can only be solved through a series of cleverly placed songs and dancing menorahs.
This story will leave you laughing, crying and probably snapping your fingers. For the length of the film and the creativity in making a West Side Story, it is obvious this short movie is not for everyone. If you are a fan of obscure musicals that take an odd look at serious issues, then West Bank Story is right up your alley, or should I say strip...like Gaza Strip..nothing? Alright.
If you are looking for a quick laugh and a film that is the length of a bad sitcom, than this movie may catch your eye. It's available for just $1.99 on iTunes and that is a reasonable price for a feature that doesn't go over thirty minutes and will leave you wondering what you just watched. This film will suit you better if you have a general idea of what West Side Story is about and then be able to apply it to this movie.
Despite the off-color attempt at humor, this film takes a swing and a miss. But don't blame us if you walk away from it craving a falafel for supper while dancing to your kitchen busting out in song.
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