Close to Home is an insightful, albeit uneventful, look at military life as lived by teenage girls in Jerusalem. As they fulfil their mandatory service, a group of young women patrol the streets of the city demanding identification from citizens, all while trying to avoid their uncomfortable assignments by wasting time eating lunch, smoking cigarettes and window-shopping. The film focuses on the relationship between a specific pairing and the bond that is formed through the boredom and discomfort of the job. While not much actually happens over the course of the movie, it provides an interesting insight into the day-to-day life on the streets of Israel and the disillusioned soldiers who provide security.

Uneven film can't decide at times if it wants to be a comedy or a drama.

This Movie info is half wrong. Mirit begs for the transfer and Smadar is the rebel that doesnt want to work. Mirit sides with the officer not Smadar. Anyways I think is an ok movie. I watch it to learn Hebrew but is not my favorite Hebrew movie. watch Broken Wings or Lebanon for something deep.

A peek into the daily life of Israel from the point of view of 2 18 year old women serving their compulsory service. Educational...

An earnest glimpse into the relationship between two young Israeli women and their street duties for the IDF. I was instantly won over by our seemingly mismatched leads and appreciated its unhurried approach.

I was hoping for more from this film. I imagine watching this film is much like the lives of these female soldiers....boring with a few very intense moments tossed in.

shows the every day life of two women in the Israeli military. An okay film, not a great one.

Good movie. Definitely good movie. The ending knocks it down a bit, though. Just the two of them riding a motorcycle for about ten minutes with the camera at a fixed position looking up at their faces? Come on now. You know that's not a real ending. The writers had a great story going on, couldn't figure out how to end it, and so went with something easy and time-filling and hoped they could pass it off as 'artsy'. Ah, but I digress. It is still a very interesting and worthwhile piece of film to view. Good, good stuff. Just be prepared for a swift and bogus end to it all.

Comme on en voit beaucoup ces annees-ci dans les pays "orientaux" au sens large, la realisation de ce film est froide, faite avec une main glaciale et un oeil glacial. Ajoute a cela la suite de jugements qu'on porte alternativement sur les protagonistes (indifference, pitie, mepris, tendresse, deception, affection) sans progression claire, le film en depit de qualites est vide.

How memorable is this movie? I watched, thinking, "I've seen this part," all the way through. Only when I got to the end, did I realize I had seen the whole thing before. The girls are lovely, but never seem to understand the seriousness of what they are doing. They are young, and innocent and just out to have a good time. They spend their days trying to dodge the inspection patrols and do just enough to stay out of trouble. The lack of any particular focus for the story makes this a forgettable film. Still. I've sat through it twice now, so it can't be all bad.

Close to Home is a quietly compelling, low-budget Israeli film that chronicles the personal development of two young women in the Israeli military. The female perspective is unique and intriguing, although the film sometimes struggles to resonate.

What a very interesting movie. I feel sympathetic towards the Arabic citizens for having their basic rights trampled on each and every day (what am i saying?) for having no rights at all! But at the same time understanding why the Israelis need to take such extreme actions. This movie opened my eyes to events I have been completely ignorant about.

A very personal and human story detailing the acts those enlisted on military service must go through is Israel. It shows the humiliation they must inflict on others and the humiliation they feel in return, as they stop every Arab they see for Identity checks. It's perfectly understandable for all viewers in the time of a war on terror. We understand why these checks must be carried out but also the anger of those being checked. Add to ths the fact that the two main girls are just that. They giggle about crushes and lust after hats.Even the ball busting superior officer shows she is just a girl at heart by making out with boys down alleys and getting excited over sweaters. It all amplifies how these are young women doing a very difficult and admirable job. Neither really enjoys their job though one will do anything to make sure it is done whilst the other refuses to degrade herself. As their friendship grows so does their understanding of each other. It's frightful, funny and quite shocking when the reasons for such tight security are shown to us. The final scene is just perfect in tone and execution as everybody reaches emotional boiling point.

Female directed sketch about two female soldiers doing National Service on the Israel/Palestine border. Not in any way as grim as it sounds. Whispers its message in a seductive way.

Interesting movie. It's not only a story of two young girls in the Israeli army but also one about the occupation and the humiliation it brings to the Palestinian people. The latter however is shown in a very delicate way, as a background. It's not a strong political movie and yet it says really a lot.

Good film, interesting story.

O.K. film, but not great. Just show that not every Israeli movie is a great masterpiece (even though many, not including this one, are worth watching).

Great movie. Shows the human and real face of Israel military. It's more about the relationship between two girls - the politics are part of the wider context. (DVD, 20 Mar 2008)

the end scene with the two girls between being broken and little hope, several minutes long and all written in their faces PLUS explosions in the sky (first breath after coma, which indeed takes some minutes...) deserves my five star rating!

A realistic and very interesting movie