Unrated

Life stings. And sometimes we are like jellyfish drifting in a sea of uncertainty. It will take love, hope and understanding to find meaning in it all. Three women living in Tel Aviv, quietly cross paths with one another, as they drown in their own sorrow. Their internal conflicts of trust, abandonment, and communication must rise to the surface before they can enjoy life’s oceanfront view.

Batya (Adler), a server at a wedding banquet hall, appears sad and lost in the world. What better way to bring Batya back to the shore than with a little girl (Leidman). This life-saver mysteriously entered her life. At the banquet hall, we also meet Keren (Knoller), the bride rejoicing with her family, whose luck takes a downturn when she breaks her leg before the honeymoon.

Attending as a guest to the wedding reception is Joy (De Latore), a Philippine caregiver to one of Keren’s relatives, who regrets leaving her young son alone in her home country just days before his birthday. Moving from patient to patient, Joy’s unhappiness is paralleled in the surly and unaffectionate elderly mother of a theatre actress. Barely able to exchange a few words, these two women will need to find a way to float on even grounds.

Jellyfish is a subtle and poetically surreal beauty where wind blows in the most unlikely of places, and loneliness undulates in the background. The story unfolds lethargically through its low-key acting, dead moments (or temps morts), and long takes. I feel that these technical choices made the film closer to realism. There are some shots that are visually stunning and one in particular that is breathtaking. When you see it you will know. It will pour down on you and remain with you like an aura.

Honestly, the beginning of the film is reasonably dull. This made it quite difficult to empathize with any of the characters until small tensions arose. Even when something amazing happened, something far from plausible, the characters keep the tension subdued with their passive or restrained behavior. This is not at all a bad thing; it just requires the attention of a very selective audience.

It is a story that requires patience, like the growth of a seed, this does not mean, however, that it will bloom into a flower; it might just die without your care and support. With hauntingly brilliant symbolism, this high-brow and emotionally touching film will leave you deep in thought.

Starring: Sarah Adler, Nikol Leidman, Noa Kroller, Ma-nenita De Latore, Gera Sandler

Final Analysis: This film is for an audience with a peculiar taste in foreign movies that are deeply allegorical and possibly open-ended.

• Official Site
  

This Reviewer's Rating: 3.5 / 5

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