Every rule has its exceptions. A Jewish friend of mine says that Israeli movies were crap. Perhaps as a whole this view is correct, but there are exceptions, as "Walk on Water". If you have to characterize this movie in a few words, it's just actually superior quality cinematography. Extremely well made film with a leisurely pace, without unnecessary artificially blown drama, despite the dramatic story that it tells. Curiously, it involved all clichés that we would expect from this kind of cinema: German war criminals, Israeli agents of the almighty Mossad, palestinian terrorism, etc. However, the strangest is that it does not irritate the viewer because it is woven exclusively organic and masterly in the script.Directing, cast, the camera and soundtrack are perfectly matched and the end result is another proof of the great hidden potential of Israeli cinema. Frankly, I'm curious why Jewish filmmakers in Hollywood have such high achievements and success, but their compatriots in Israel seem undervalued by the audience and critics. In any case, Israeli cinema is developing in an upward spiral, and we can expect from it another surprising good news, as "Walk on Water".

If you have watched more than a handful of movies, chances are that you will have had this one figured out from the word 'go'. This movie is amateurish, predictable and downright boring. Crammed with clichés and stereotypical characters, the only "saving grace" is the fact that it deals with one of the most complicated and delicate historical issues known to man. The story line is about as exciting as retelling your own visit to the loo. The hammy acting brings to mind the 'versatility' of actors such as Van Damme or Seagal. In other words, armchairs evoke more heartrending feelings than they do. Extremely heavy handed and above all a total waste of time.

"Walk on Water" is courageous film, confidently directed by Eytan Fox based on the screenplay written by his partner Gal Uchovsky and well acted. Its subject is a Mossad's agent whose new mission is to hunt the former Nazi criminal who lives nowadays somewhere in South America. In order to trace him, Eyal (Lior Ashkenazi) takes a job as a tourist guide for the grandson of war criminal - sociable, open, friendly young German, Axel. Axel arrives to Israel to visit his sister Pia who chose to live in Israel and work in a kibbutz and to talk her into reconciling with their parents. Eyal drives Alex in his SUV, shows him the country. They sit on the coast of Dead Sea, both smeared by celebrated therapeutic mud from neck to toes. In another scene, Alex tries to walk on the water of Kinarteth (the Sea of Galilee); three of them visit the gay- bar in Tel Aviv - Alex does not hide his sexual orientation.The characters are interesting and compelling. The story is engaging and I feel connected to the movie the way very few movies make me. I recognize the places I've been to and I've come to love and to dream of seeing them again and again. The film starts in Istanbul, Turkey on the boat over the Bosphor and the guide talks about the bridge between Europe and Asia. I've been on the boat like that and I saw the bridge. Then the action takes place in Israel and I was happy to recognize Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, The Sea of Galilee (Kinereth), The Dead Sea where one just floats without swimming, the desert.The plot moves from Israel to Berlin where Eyal is visiting with his new friend's family. Alex's and Pia's father celebrates his anniversary and for the first time, a helpless dying old man arrives to Berlin, the Nazi criminal, Axel's and Pia's grandfather, Eyal's target. The film explores the moral dead ends of the modern society full of hostility and old unpaid debts. Eyal remembers the history of his country and its people, he knows not from the books about Holocaust. He is a soldier and must be merciless but he has to learn something about understanding from his young German friend. Film attracts by the non-standard approach to the familiar themes of religious prejudices, homophobia, neo-fascism, newest terror and other sources of the hatred, which destroys the world. It would not surprise me to find out that the film has many detractors in Germany, Palestine, and in Israel. The final is a little too neat and belongs to the modern fairy tale genre. I see it as the director's dream that he wanted to come true - the people with different backgrounds, mentalities, history, and preferences would understand one another and would come toward one another with the open hearts and clean thoughts. Dreams, dreams...

An unusual spy thriller from Israel, Walk on Water's first scene follows Eyal (Lior Ashkenazi, a fine and handsome actor, somewhat reminiscent of Clive Owen, and who played a quite different character in the comedy Late Marriage), a tough-minded Mossad agent, as he coolly kills a Hamas operative in Istanbul in front of his family. Soon after returning from this mission, though, his wife commits suicide, so his superiors decide to give him what looks like a light assignment: posing as the tour guide of a couple of German tourists (a brother and sister) in order to become friendly with them and find out if they know about the whereabouts of their Nazi grandfather (who is presumably still living in Argentina). As it happens, the Germans are very different in their outlook from Eyal - they are liberal types who want to understand why Palestinian terrorists are willing to blow themselves to pieces - this humanization of the Palestinians infuriates the tough Sabra. The Germans are different in another way - the brother is gay, in contrast with the very macho Eyal, and much is made in the movie about their uneasy relationship. The final act of the movie, as Eyal goes to Germany to deal with their Nazi grandfather is more contrived, less believable, but the movie overall is highly entertaining and thought provoking.