Aliyah | Review

The Holy Land is Dope; Wajeman’s Effective Family Drama is Surprisingly Subtle

Titled with a Hebrew term for Jewish immigration to Israel from the diaspora, Aliyah traces the uninspiring procedure for an assisted return to the Holy Land, as Alex (Pio Marmaï) prepares to join his restaurateur cousin (David Geselson) in Tel Aviv and leave behind his oppressive lot in Paris. Co-written alongside Gaëlle Macé, Elie Wajeman’s directorial debut is an intimate and unhurried wandering through the circumstantial pressures that have cornered a 27-year-old low-grade drug dealer.

The nature of conversation surrounding his plans requires that Alex confess to not already “knowing Israel”, as he only visited once as a child. It is repeatedly assumed that he is familiar with the land, language and even the holidays, erecting a strict framework for Jewish identity that is uniquely transcended. Alex is nonreligious and entirely aware of the devastating political turmoil, yet he makes giant sacrifices in order to reach Israel. The film pays reverence to tradition, as Alex evidently feels the visceral draw of the Promise Land – but such a reading is only made possible by quieting the sneaking inclination to deem Alex an opportunist.

Selling hash had been a profitable enough vocation to habitually rescue his parasitic older brother Isaac (Cedric Kahn) from unforgiving loan sharks, but in urgent need of some capital for an ill-defined business plan, Alex ups the ante to cocaine. His lifelong friend Mathias (Guillaume Gouixsays) says “great idea, selling dope to get to the Holy Land” with the same glaring irony present as Alex simultaneously weighs out illegal product and listens to educational Hebrew language tapes. Dealing appears to be a sweet gig – Alex makes friendly transactions at candle-lit sidewalk cafés and quick stops at lively parties where beautiful women kiss his cheeks and beg him to stay.

Dealing hardly seems dangerous, so the protagonist’s burning desire to relocate is not just part of his resolution to retire, but a necessary step towards a larger sense of fulfillment. Instead of some merciless drug-lord locking Alex into the game, he is entrapped by familial obligations. His brother is heavily reliant on him, as the self-proclaimed ugly duckling of the family is always “in the shit”, but there is something beyond Isaac’s sleazy charm that pressures Alex into assuming responsibility. Their troubled past is only hinted at, much like his unexplained relationship with Esther, an ex-girlfriend (Sarah Le Picard) for whom he has lingering feelings.

Jeanne (Adèle Haenel) calls these “existential problems” as she draws a diagram of her budding romance with Alex on a placemat, tenderly recounting the relationship that has unfolded over the course of the film. She is the first to ask him to stay, but as Alex explains in the third person – “once he has done something good in his life, then he can be loved”. Aliyah is an atmospheric portrait of regaining control and its quiet presentation is worthy of your attention.