A sinister opening set to a pulsating score establishes a misleading tone for the Israeli domestic drama “15 Years” (out now on DVD and VOD): A man in his 40s nervously jogs alone at night until something startling makes him halt in his steps. Cloaked in dim, ambient lighting, this chain of events recurs throughout the film, though some of his late-night forays, on foot or by bicycle, are actually dreams while others are revealed as cruising. They all reflect the midlife crisis of Yoav (Oded Leopold), a Tel Aviv architect.
Yoav starts his downward spiral after a gallery party where his best friend, Alma, announces her pregnancy. The news distresses him, while it awakens a strong paternal instinct in his partner of 15 years, Dan (Udi Persi). Leopold and Persi are both compelling performers, but the writer-director Yuval Hadadi renders their characters with little subtlety.
Early in the film, Dan cloyingly coos at a baby while Yoav looks disgusted. Later, at their anniversary dinner, Yoav lashes out rudely at his guests when the topic of children comes up. From there, the couple’s relationship unravels: Yoav leaves Dan, hooks up with a teenager, and tells Alma he wishes she weren’t pregnant.
At the same time he faces his own mortality, especially through his estrangement from his terminally ill father. Yoav becomes such an oppressive presence that it is difficult to empathize with him. “15 Years” is overstuffed with symbolism about his existential woes, but the narrative would have been better served by mirroring the film’s sleek, minimalistic shots, with more understated depictions of anxiety.
15 Years
Not rated. In Hebrew, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes. Rent or buy on Amazon, Google Play and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
