Free Zone (DVD disc) Natalie Portman, Hana Lazlo, Hiam Abbass

Beginning with a lengthy close-up shot of a fragile Natalie Portman sobbing in the back seat of a car, it's clear from the very beginning that FREE ZONE is going to offer some challenging viewing. Portman's character is Rebecca, and the location is close to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Hanna (Hanna Laslo) is the driver of the cab in which Rebecca is seated, and Hanna is desperate to get to an area known as the Free Zone in Jordan. The Free Zone is an ungoverned economic area, and Hanna's husband, who has recently been injured in a terrorist attack, has sent her there to pick up a debt owed to him. Rebecca comes along for the ride, hoping it will distract her from the painful events that have recently beset her. Once there, they forcibly pick up Leila (Hiam Abbass), who works for the man who owes Hanna's husband the debt. Together the three women search the Free Zone for this man, who is known only as "the American." Director Amos Gitai (KIPPUR) has created an interesting, original piece of work in THE FREE ZONE. As his three female leads go through contrasting emotions as they argue, sing, bond, and fight together, Gitai tracks the action through a gritty camera lens, creating a palpable feeling of downtrodden reality. A well-crafted portrait of three lives briefly intersecting, THE FREE ZONE is a bold move for Portman and a triumph for Gitai, who adds another impressive movie to his resume.