Well Received 2017 Israeli Film ‘Longing’ Lost In Translation With Richard Gere Remake – Specialty Preview
deadline.comIt’s a big weekend for critically acclaimed indies in limited release as well as a handful of moderate openings, including Richard Gere’s latest film Longing.
The provenance of that is unusual as the film from Lionsgate/Grindstone is a Canada-set remake of a 2017 Israeli drama. The original was quite well received, but the film opening this weekend has been thoroughly skewered by critics.
After winning screenplay and audience awards in Israel, the film premiered in Venice, taking the BNL People’s Choice Award, then played Toronto.
Both versions are written and directed by Savi Gabizon (Nina’s Tragedies, Lovesick On Nana Street). Characters and story are identical: a successful single American businessman (Gere) meets up with a 20-year-old old flame (Suzanne Clément) and learns that he has a son, and, a beat later, that the young man has just died in a car accident.
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