Never Too Late

Ido Fluk's contemplative film - the first Israeli feature to be made using crowdsourcing - marries a physical road trip with a journey of grief and reconciliation. Herzl (Nony Geffen) has returned to Israel after an eight-year absence. He spent the time travelling in South America with a girlfriend who is now a thing of the past and has only returned due to a lack of cash. There's a sense of him being adrift, from his family - he didn't come back for his father's funeral - and his previous dreams. Taking a job putting up posters at various towns across the country, each of which bear the legend: It's Never Too Late, he dusts off his dad's elderly motor and hits the road.

As Fluk's camera drinks in the rural and city landscapes of Israel, thoughts of Herzl's father (Ami Weinberg) - exacerbated by the presence of a suitcase left for him in the car boot and which he is unwilling to open - weigh heavily on the young man's mind. So heavily, in fact, that he conjures up his dad, Six Feet Under style, as a physical presence in the car along for the ride. As Herzl journeys across the country, he encounters old friends, including old flame Dalia (Keren Berger).

Perhaps surprisingly, given Fluk's music video background, the pace is slow and despite the unusual Israeli setting there is a sense of deja vu in terms of the plot - Herzl is just the latest in a long line of film children to have unresolved issues with a dead parent. Fluk also lays on the symbolism rather too heavily. In addition to the "never too late" message of his posters, he also carries around a copy of Robinson Crusoe, read to him by his father as a child, which, of course, carries it's own reminder that "it's never too late to be wise".

Despite its more heavy-handed aspects, Fluk shows potential behind the camera, with a good eye for framing and patience when it comes to giving the mood of a scene time to develop. Audiences will need all their patience to stay emotionally engaged with Herzl, however, as his moody listlessness may leave many simply wanting to give him a good shake.