Footnote (2012)
83%RT Audience Score: 72%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
14 wins & 9 nominations total
Footnote is a cinematic masterpiece that delves into the complexities of human relationships and the academic world with a deft hand. The film’s poignant exploration of ambition, success, and generational gaps is brought to life through exquisite cinematography and a soaring score that will leave non-Hebrew speaking audiences enraptured. While some may find the dry humor and bleak drama to be a mix that doesn’t quite hit the mark, the film’s almost wordless last 15 minutes are a triumph of choreography that will leave viewers breathless. It’s a shame that a film of this caliber is often overlooked in favor of more commercial fare, but for those who seek out Footnote, they will be rewarded with a witty, intelligent, and emotionally resonant experience.
Footnote is a film that will make you feel smarter just by watching it. It’s like a fancy dinner party where everyone is talking about philosophy and literature, and you’re just trying to keep up. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of dry humor to keep you entertained. And if you’re not a Hebrew speaker, the cinematography and score will make you feel like you’re in on the joke. Overall, Footnote is a well-crafted film that’s worth the mental workout.
Production Company(ies)
Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment,
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Jerusalem, Israel
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic elements, brief nudity, language and smoking
Year of Release
2011
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 46m
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Language(s):Hebrew
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Country of origin:Israel
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 9, 2012 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 24, 2012
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
PG, Comedy/Drama, 1h 46m, directed by Joseph Cedar, written by Joseph Cedar, starring Shlomo Bar-Aba, Lior Ashkenazi, Aliza Rosen, Alma Zack, Daniel Markovich, Micah Lewesohn, Yehuda Grossman, produced by David Mandil, Moshe Edery, Leon Edery, reviewed by J Hoberman, Stanley Kauffmann, Donald Clarke, Marjorie Baumgarten, Tom Long, Joe Williams, David Bax, Debbie Lynn Elias, Austin Trunick, David Nusair, Glenn Dunks, starring Shlomo Bar-Aba as Eliezer Shkolnik, Lior Ashkenazi as Uriel, Aliza Rosen as Yehudit, Alma Zack as Dikla, Daniel Markovich as Josh, Micah Lewesohn as Yehuda Grossman, Yehuda Grossman as himself, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, PG rating, Hebrew language, Talmud scholarship, Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, Israeli Prize, father-son relationship, academic rivalry, satire, human nature, guilt, jealousy, anger, love, intellectual handicaps, autism
Worldwide gross: $2,451,259
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,227,077
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,298
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 351,917
US/Canada gross: $2,007,758
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,643,209
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,969
US/Canada opening weekend: $47,528
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $62,571
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,126
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Lior Ashkenazi – Uriel
Aliza Rosen – Yehudit
Alma Zack – Dikla
Daniel Markovich – Josh
Micah Lewesohn – Yehuda Grossman
Director(s)
Joseph Cedar
Writer(s)
Joseph Cedar
Producer(s)
David Mandil, Moshe Edery, Leon Edery
Film Festivals
Cannes, Telluride
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
14 wins & 9 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (90) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (80) | Rotten (10)
Everything now in place, Footnote’s almost wordless last 15 minutes are exquisitely choreographed.
May 3, 2016
J. Hoberman
Tablet
TOP CRITIC
At the last… Footnote is so intelligently and deftly made that we are glad it exists.
June 18, 2013
Stanley Kauffmann
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
It remains painful to live in a world where Jack and Jill makes it into commercial cinemas and this superb Israeli film gets kicked into the underbrush.
October 1, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Donald Clarke
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
This is a film that skims the surface layer of politesse from human interactions and reveals us as the blustering bundles of ego that we all are.
April 13, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
“Footnote” deals with ambition, isolation, the dangers of too much success and the inevitable gap between generations.
April 13, 2012 | Rating: B
Tom Long
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Cedar mines dark humor from the humiliations of identity checks and pecking orders.
April 13, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Joe Williams
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
In many ways, this movie exasperated me. It’s almost as if, despite his obvious talents, the director was daring me to enjoy his film.
March 16, 2021
David Bax
Battleship Pretension
Footnote is a poignant, witty, well crafted film that employs exemplary cinematography and visual metaphoric reference set to a score that soars with lyricism and emotion, setting the tone for the non-Hebrew speaking audience.
November 26, 2019
Debbie Lynn Elias
Behind The Lens
[A] mix of dry humor and bleak drama.
August 15, 2014 | Rating: 6/10
Austin Trunick
Under the Radar
a consistently inconsistent drama that could and should have been so much better.
August 10, 2014 | Rating: 2.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Who knew scholarly politics would be so boring?
September 8, 2013
Glenn Dunks
Trespass
Cedar remains in stylistic second gear for the rest of the film, and interest fizzles out long before the finish line.
April 21, 2013 | Rating: 2/5
Matt Kelemen
Las Vegas CityLife…
Plot
The story of a great rivalry between a father and son, both eccentric professors in the Talmud department of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The son has an addictive dependency on the embrace and accolades that the establishment provides, while his father is a stubborn purist with a fear and profound revulsion for what the establishment stands for, yet beneath his contempt lies a desperate thirst for some kind of recognition. The Israel Prize, Israel’s most prestigious national award, is the jewel that brings these two to a final, bitter confrontation.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Shlomo Bar-Aba, who had not starred in a film for 20 years before this one.
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