Movie Natters: June 14, 2008 Archive

"Jellyfish" has some spine

Posted at 10:39 AM on June 14, 2008 by Euan Kerr

The Israeli flick "Jellyfish" is a mysterious little movie which verges on the surreal. The story of lonely people in a very crowded city it has a beautiful musicality about it, even though it leaves more questions than answers.

There's Batia, a woman who works as a server at weddings whose boyfriend recently left her. Her power-suited mother runs a high profile food bank campaign, but seems to have little time for her daughter who is sinking into depression.

Then there's Keren, a bride who breaks her ankle at her wedding, and has to settle for ma honeymoon in a Tel Aviv hotel instead of the Caribbean. Despite her new husband's attentions things are never right.

And there is Joy, a Philippino woman, trying to make money to support her son back home, who is assigned to look after a quarrelsome older lady who is also disconnected from her daughter.

The stories intersect in brief and significant ways, and there is also a five year old mute girl, played by the wonderfully unblinking Nicole Leidman, who enters and changes Batia's life. She may or may not be a mermaid. You decide.

Each of the women is searching for something, perhaps friendship. Each has a different level of success, although who is most successful may depend on your own point of view.