Ari Folman first movie was a great promise, but more than a decade passed since then and with only one feature film, and several TV series on the record his career seems to be stagnating at best. Here he comes now with a film that is so sharp, surprising and different - one of the best Israeli films ever in any genre.

Choosing to do an animated feature about the beginning of the first Lebanon war in 1982 and the collective trauma and amnesia caused by this war to its heroes - young soldier torn down from their first world life to be thrown in the violent absurdity of war - and the whole Israeli society is both a daring and natural thing to do. Daring because this film is after all a documentary about the search to the lost memory of the director about his own presence in war, and the journey to recover it by means of interviews with his fellows in arms. The real life persons are recorded while giving the interviews while extremely accurate drawn images play the visual role (one of the persons interviewed is a famous journalist showing up often on TV). As realist as these scenes are, it is hard to imagine how difficult it would have been to bring on screen the fighting scenes, or to play the trauma of the young boys shown into a terrifying and nightmarish reality. So animation was the right and natural choice. Without using special or expensive effects, the dreams and nightmare scenes are both catching and terrifying, reflecting the traumatized souls of the dreamers (one won't forget easily the opening scene).

Yet, the message of the film is far beyond the personal message. When dreams (or better said nightmares) dissipate the deep-buried reality gets back - the massacres in the Palestinian camps become real on screen, and this is the only place where Folman uses fragments of filmed material rather than animation. The nightmare became reality and its a grim one. Without ever leaving the personal and emotional plans, the political statement about a war with no winners is made loud and clear without the need of being explicit.

"Waltz With Bashir" is a film about the 1982 Lebanon war from the point of view of the Israeli soldiers who fought there. However, HOW it is told is pretty interesting. First, it's not live action but drawn in a very unusual roto-scope looking manner. It's very striking and original. Second, instead of being set during this war, it begin many years later--when an ex-soldier realizes he has very few memories of the war and decides to track down fellow soldiers to jog his memories--memories that were hindered by post-traumatic stress disorder. After all, they'd witnessed a lot of horrible things--including the Philangist Christians entering the Muslim camps and liquidating people. The film does not say that the Jews committed these murders, but also drew parallels to the Nazis and the Holocaust--a sobering parallel indeed. Overall, a tough film to watch (it's not surprising, since this war was so barbaric) but one that I highly respect and a quality production throughout. Well worth seeing but be careful about letting kids watch this one.

I had heard nothing but good things about Waltz With Bashir, and after finally seeing it, I found it every bit as good as I'd heard. Waltz With Bashir is stunning visually, the mix of live-action(used in the meetings footage) with flash animation and 3D has a very stirring and somewhat seductive look to it. Not only that, but the guilt and trauma of those involved seen in hallucinatory ways are almost suureal. The interviews are honest and compelling, with Ari Folman(directing and presenting with a superb and I think personal touch) making no time excusing the Israeli Army's role in the massacre, making some of Waltz With Bashir real, powerful and often incredibly hard-hitting.

Overall, harrowing, powerful and striking visually. 10/10 Bethany Cox