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‘Once Upon a Time in Gaza’ Review: An Altruistic but Scattered Palestinian Crime Farce
FarceThe Nassers’ bifurcated film 'Once Upon a Time in Gaza' fails to weave its political influences into a meaningful whole.
Directed by the twin duo of Tarzan and Arab Nasser, “ Once Upon a Time in Gaza ” is about a collaboration of a different sort: a small-time drug scheme concocted by timid university student Yahya (Nader Abd Alhay) and burly restaurant owner Osama (Majd Eid). As this plot unfolds, it’s buoyed by the light and humorous tension of the duo’s disagreements — which the Nassers allow to play out to the point of absurdity — and by the corrupt police officer on their tails, Abou Sami (Ramzi Maqdisi). This, coupled with the movie’s refusal to fully dive into its characters’ desires for vengeance (when things become especially violent), renders “Once Upon a Time in Gaza” more facsimile than homage or self-reflection, and more distant observation than rigorous, tongue-in-cheek inquiry into life under occupation.
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