Tamara and Adam are lovers as different from one another as the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa, in Anat Malz’s terrific film, Real Estate – A Love Story. Malz, who wrote, directed, and edited the film, observes her characters with a piercing gaze that reveals all the rough edges and cracks, their strengths and vulnerabilities, the dazzling mystery of the human soul. She views them with humor and empathy, as Tamara, 36 weeks pregnant, and Adam search for a new apartment over the course of a single day. The two lead actors, Victoria Rosovsky and Lev Leib Levin, deliver sensitive, powerful performances. I fell in love with this film at first sight, and after seeing it once more, it has a solid place on my favorites list. Here’s why.
Malz situates her characters at a pivotal place in their lives, just on the cusp of change. Tamara, a graphic designer, and Adam, who is currently working making deliveries, have been living in Tel Aviv in an apartment building that is about to be torn down to make way for a new high rise. Rental prices keep skyrocketing, and they’ve decided that they can no longer afford to live in Tel Aviv, which is itself on the brink of change, as Malz makes whimsically clear in the opening shot of a building under construction, to be followed later by images of demolition on the opening credits. The city, known for its vibrant cultural life, is becoming exorbitantly expensive for the artists, writers, musicians and other creatives who give Tel Aviv its flair. Like many others who choose to depart for quieter, less exciting but more affordable cities, Tamara and Adam plan to move to Haifa, Adam’s hometown. But perhaps the greater change in their lives will be the upcoming birth of their baby.
Tamara and Adam meet life in dramatically different ways. She is determined to find an apartment that will provide a comfortable, stable home for their small family for years to come, and she’s put the effort in, making phone calls, searching the internet, and organized a list of apartments for them to see in Haifa. Adam is, one might say, less motivated. Friendly and outgoing, he feels comfortable in their current neighborhood, where he has established warm relationships with everyone from the beggar on the street, to the woman running the corner kiosk. Where Tamara feels the need to prepare for the future, Adam seems to flourish on the belief that somehow, everything will work out fine.
Each apartment they see is a small adventure, full of humor and human drama, as well as the familiar horror of apartment hunting. It’s a bizarre experience, walking into the lives of others, and trying to imagine creating your own life in that space. At the same time, they also interact with the different people they meet – the elderly man enamored of the dark, depressing, wood paneling and cabinets that cover the apartment, the healer who offers advice, the young mother who seems overwhelmed by her three noisy children. Anyone who has ever had to look for an apartment while on a budget – so essentially, almost everyone – can relate to Tamara and Adam as they go down Tamara’s carefully curated list. And at the top of the list is that elusive apartment, the one that looks so beautiful online and is incredibly cheap.
As they look towards the future, they will also need to contend with the past. Tamara is haunted by the transience of her childhood and has not spoken to her own mother for the past six months. Adam’s mother is warm and supportive, offering advice and home-cooked meals, but is she perhaps too involved in the young couple’s lives? Sarit Vino-Elad wonderfully portrays the loud and loving mother.
It’s a film as beautiful and poignant as it is funny, with dialogue and a relationship depicted with such authenticity that it almost feels like it could be a documentary. Watching these two, I couldn’t help but wonder what Tamara, so smart and strong, sees in this flaky guy. Then as they went through the ups and downs of their day in Haifa, I understood. There’s a radiant moment when Adam runs into an old friend, and old bandmate, who talks him into singing just one song, for old time’s sake. As he sings, he looks at Tamara, she feels his love, she sees the beauty he creates, and she glows with love.
Real Estate – A Love Story
Director: Anat Malz; Screenplay: Anat Malz; Cinematography: Omri Aloni; Editor: Anat Malz; Music: Shuzin; Cast: Victoria Rosovsky, Lev Leib Levin, Sara vino Elad, Ala Daka
Israel/2023/95 min/Hebrew, Russian, English, with Hebrew and English subtitles
