Hunting Elephants

The film begins with a group of elderly men having their mug shots taken, revealing that three of them were involved in a bank robbery, alongside the grandson, Gil Blank, who portrays Yonatan. Despite being talented, Yonatan faces bullying at school, leading to his suspension after the bullies coerce him into cheating on a test. Distraught, his mother, Yael Abecassis, takes him to the bank where his father, Tzvika Hadar, works as an overworked security guard, starting his night shift.

During the night, a heated argument between father and son unfolds, prompting Daniel to display alarming symptoms akin to a heart attack. Collapsing, he sends Yonatan to fetch his medication from their car. However, Yonatan’s attempt to retrieve the pills is delayed when he misplaces the car keys. Upon entering the bank with the medicine, he inadvertently triggers the alarm system, resulting in a cage locking him inside and separating him from his father. Tragically, without treatment, Daniel succumbs to his condition.

In the aftermath, Yonatan’s mother approaches the sleazy bank manager, Moshe Ivgy, who plays Dedi, seeking compensation. However, he coldly informs her that Daniel’s death does not qualify for any reimbursement due to technicalities in the fine print. Pressured to work multiple shifts and unable to leave Yonatan alone, she turns to her estranged father-in-law, Sasson Gabai, to care for her son in the nursing home where he resides with his comatose wife, Rhoda, and his friend Nick, portrayed by Moni Moshonov.

As time passes, Yonatan forms a bond with Eliahu and Nick. The situation intensifies when Lord Michael Simpson, played by Patrick Stewart, who is Rhoda’s estranged brother and a washed-up, financially troubled actor, joins their unlikely group. Driven by a desire for justice for his father’s premature death and to reclaim his mother’s dignity from Dedi, they concoct a plan to rob the bank. With Eliahu and Nick drawing from their past experiences of robbing British banks during the Mandate era, their plan weaves through unexpected twists and culminates in a surprising yet uplifting conclusion.

Last Updated: October 25, 2024 at 10:56