Gett The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

It's tough and unsparing, but the grimness is never gratuitous.

Ultimately the movie is wearying, but then it's likely supposed to be. If Viviane's going through the wringer, you're going through the wringer too.

Shot in intense close-ups, the better to study the emotions burning off the characters' skin, the film is all talk and gestures, but it begins to take your breath away like a chase movie would.

A microcosm of women victimized by patriarchal institutions worldwide as well as an allegory of the universal struggle for freedom.

As Viviane laments, this kind of thing wouldn't happen in America. True, but there's not an actress in America who wouldn't twist her hair into a bun for the chance to play this role.

Suspenseful, wonderfully acted, emotionally jarring.

In terms of themes, tone, and intensity, Gett most closely compares to Asghar Farhadi's A Separation--both are seamlessly exhausting viewing experiences.

A great testament of an intelligent woman that, throughout history, only wanted to open the roads to equality, comprehension, and tolerance. [Full review in Spanish]

Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz, who based this trilogy loosely on their own family history, have managed to illuminate the humanity in the characters and turn what could be a preachy, issue-oriented movie into a moving film.

A serious and sometimes humorous and even compassionate consideration of spousal responsibility.

The movie's not entirely grim-there are colorful supporting characters and moments of comedy-but the experience is absolutely nerve-wracking... Given the film's political nature, that's as it should be-Gett is meant to agitate, not gratify.

Stand out roles include Menashe Noy, who plays Amsalem's lawyer, and Sasson Gabai, who plays Elisha's lawyer and brother. However, it is Elkabetz's performance that carries the film.