The Other Son

PG-13

Released Oct 26, 2012

1h 45m

Drama

List

79%

Tomatometer

52 Reviews

79%

Audience Score

5,000+ Ratings

Complex repercussions face two families -- one Israeli, one Palestinian -- after learning that their sons (Jules Sitruk, Mehdi Dehbi) were accidentally switched at birth.

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Stanley Kauffmann

The New Republic

It is easy to imagine other, darker, results after the opening accident, but Levy's film, pitched firmly as if it were the only possibility, makes it seem so.

Jun 17, 2013

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Louis Black

Austin Chronicle

The actors are all excellent, the storytelling compassionate, and the overall sense one takes from the film is more humane than political.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 14, 2012

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Walter V. Addiego

San Francisco Chronicle

Lvy generally succeeds in creating a compelling, humanistic family drama, even if some viewers may reject the movie's final note of optimism.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 2, 2012

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Lucía Roitbarg

EscribiendoCine

It is clearly a film that appeals to sensitivity and the great universal theme is the acceptance of one another. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 8/10

Nov 13, 2023

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

The Other Son, while it conceivably manages to warrant discussion, dances around the darker implications it barely hints at.

Aug 6, 2019

Full Review

Kelly Jane Torrance

Washington Examiner

The Other Son seems tailor-made to make a point. And that wishful thinking takes the power away from what might have been a subtle, but more effective, film.

Rated: 2/4

Dec 20, 2018

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Audience Member

One of the best scenarios that I've seen and of the best-detailed description about how characters (and life) accept it, each one with his own pace.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

what an amazing movie! such a simple story but comes with the strongest message a film can deliver: no matter what origin or religion, we are all humans who want to be accepted and be loved, and thats all what counts in the end. great new perspective on the gaza conflict. how beautiful would that be if all would act like those two boys in that story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

philip s

Stories centered on the plot element of children switched at birth are not that new to the worlds of television and movies. Any number of stories has been crafted both for the big screen and small for decades with this plot element at their center. So the question is raised now in the 21st Century, how does one go about crafting a story based in this tried and true element without being trite? The answer: Cohen Media Group's new movie, The Other Son. The Other Son is at its most basic of roots, less a story of babies switched at birth than a political statement of sorts. It presents the story of Joseph and Yacine (played respectively by Jules Sitruk and Mehdi Dehbi). One is Palestinian. The other is Israeli. The pair was switched at birth by pure accident during the Gulf War. The result was that one grew up Israeli when he should have been Palestinian and vice versa. The resultant effect is that both bys' parents find out when the boys have both grown up, as do the boys themselves, leading to some very mixed emotions among them. The boys' parents take the news especially hard. That's not to say that the boys don't take the news hard. But in meeting one another, they get along quite better than their parents. The dichotomy of the two situations is its own statement. The contradiction of how the parents and sons handle one another goes into the deeper, more social message that it shouldn't matter whether one is Palestinian or Israeli. People are people, and can still get along. It seems cheesy, yes. But in a region that has been ravaged by war for decades, this is a message that is relevant even today. Even being a foreign language film, it's one that audiences of any nationality will appreciate for this message. This includes Middle Eastern audiences along the entire West Bank. The story does a relatively good job of portraying the two different lifestyles of the Palestinian and Israeli families and their lifestyles. Though, one could argue that there might actually be a slight bias here as those on the Israeli side are portrayed as having a better lifestyle and living conditions than the Palestinians. Of course that is merely a matter of one critic's interpretation. It doesn't necessarily mean that that is the case. Though it is sure to generate discussion, which in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. Any time that discussion over the ongoing tensions in the West Bank is raised, it's a good thing. And speaking of discussion, the story's end will generate just as much discussion among viewers, if not more. The story is left open-ended through its conclusion. And while some may complain about that since it isn't wrapped up with a pretty bow on top, the story's final statement—made through voice over—brings full circle the statement about it not mattering who one is or one's roots. It re-states that we it is possible to overcome the past and live together peacefully. Yes, it's something of a hippy-esque message. But it's one that will always be relevant as evidenced in this story that although it's a foreign language film, is worth at least one watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Well developed, interesting chatacters and plot elevate this movie. Very endearing and personal while acknowledging the political realities underlying the main plot. Well worth watching.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I just happened to see this film while channel surfing HBO last night. This story,about about two college aged boys, one Palestinian the other Israeli switched accidentally in the hospital at birth, seems so incredibly improbable as to have no chance of being a believable film. But , against all expectations it is more than believable; it is a good, sensitive and very human movie. Thought provoking, it avoids sentimentality but remains a warm touching exploration of two families working through a situation difficult under any circumstances, let alone in the setting of the Palestinian / Israeli conflict. Beautifully done; succeeding on many levels, I heartily recommend this to anyone who feels even the smallest interest and empathy for the human element on both sides caught in the difficult nature of the current hostilities. It is not a perfect movie, but the excellence of the script, performances and direction overcome the movie's flaws and make it well worth seeing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What a well done story that hits at so many levels! Imagine finding out that you are suddenly not who you are and this even effects how your loved ones perceive you. Nature, nurture, and more.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

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Lorraine Levy

Director

Emmanuelle Devos

Orith

Pascal Elbé

Alon

Jules Sitruk

Joseph

Mehdi Dehbi

Yacine

Areen Omari

Leila

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Synopsis

Complex repercussions face two families -- one Israeli, one Palestinian -- after learning that their sons (Jules Sitruk, Mehdi Dehbi) were accidentally switched at birth.

Director: Lorraine Levy
Screenwriter: Nathalie Saugeon, Lorraine Levy
Distributor: Cohen Media Group
Production Co: Solofilm
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Language|A Scene of Violence|Drug Use)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.2M
Runtime: 1h 45m

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