Color, NR (mature themes, language), 95 min., DVD only $24.95, Hebrew and English with English subtitles
DVD: no special features
Street: Sept. 20, Prebook: now
First Run: DVD premiere
Cast: Anat Waxman (Nina's Tragedies), Nathati Moshesh (Cape of Good Hope), Eyal Rozales (Walk on Water), Nathan Zahavi, Ido Port
Director: Shahar Rozen
WOLFE
Story Line: Unhappy in her marriage, Israeli bus driver Nurit (Waxman) decides to separate from her husband and move with her two children to Tel Aviv. She hires a Nigerian nanny (Moshesh) to look after her children and develops a romantic relationship with her.
Bottom Line: Although the nanny romance plot of this drama might feel Jude Law-ish in its scandal potential, director Rozen could not be any less interested in approaching Round Trip on salacious terms. This very dignified movie will most successfully be marketed as a lesbian genre title, but its focus is really on broader ideas of independence and self-discovery. Waxman tackles the difficult role of Nurit with expert skill, exhibiting a range of emotions as diverse as the cast. Moshesh enters the movie about a third of the way in and mesmerizes each moment she is on screen. The volume of issues explored between the two leads, from race to class to politics to lesbianism, might be a bit much for a 95-minute movie to handle, but its willingness to go for the gold in its topicality is admirable. Plus, an ending free of sappiness and cheer assures that this title is from nowhere near Hollywood. Gay and lesbian audiences, as well as those interested in romantic stories off the beaten path, should find something special here.