kolnoaMograbi Review of Is That You?

Is That You? (2014)

I expected more from a screenplay by Eshkol Nevó

[7/10 · 14 January 2015]

While "Is That You?" is an enjoyable road flick with a cute premise, its randomness distracted me from fully enjoying it and giving it a higher rating. It bothers me when writers give characters ethnic names / names that are obviously not of the dominant culture (Golan in this case, a distinctly Israeli name) when their backgrounds are immaterial to the plot. Doing so is just a distraction, as was the seemingly random choice of song that Roni plays at Rachel's birthday party. There having been no prior reference to or mention of this song, why was it chosen? Not a hit song from their youth (the 1970s), and certainly not a song that an Israeli is likely to know. Finally, a motel clerk declining a couple a room and then being persuaded to give them a room: Why bother putting it in? It gave us no added information; neither did it alter the plot. Superfluous. First-time screenwriters, we're watching you!