The Los Angeles Times' film critic praised acclaimed Israeli actor Lior Ashkenazi on Sunday for his performance in the controversial film "Foxtrot," writing that "it's something that needs to be seen."
The movie has been subject to heavy criticism because of how it portrays Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria, resulting in Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev calling on audiences to boycott the movie.
But in his review in the Los Angeles Times, critic Kenneth Turan said that 48-year-old Ashkenazi is a "legend" who is "as accomplished an actor as Israel has."
The movie won the prestigious Silver Lion prize at the 2017 Venice Film Festival, as well as eight Ophir Awards – Israel's top acting awards – including for best picture and best lead actor. The movie was recently released in Los Angeles for the second time.
"Even for a 48-year-old veteran who knows his way around, Ashkenazi's experience with 'Foxtrot' has been so intense and out of the ordinary that 'unprecedented' is a mild word to describe it," Turan wrote of Ashkenazi's portrayal of a bereaved father.
Ashkenazi told Turan, "In Israel, everyone knows someone who's had a member of the family, a child, die in war or a terrorist attack. They surround us. They function like normal people, but something in their energy is different. In Israel, we say, 'Someone has a gash on his soul.' It's still there, but it's not perfect anymore."
Regev said the film slanders Israeli soldiers, although Ashkenazi says the controversial scenes are just an artistic interpretation of the complex situation. Regev's calls to boycott the movie resulted in Israeli Ambassador to France Aliza Bin-Noun snubbing a Paris film festival after organizers decided to screen it.
Ashkenazi told Turan that in the wake of the controversy, he received "a lot of threats directed at me and my 5-year-old daughter. It's insane."
