Zero Motivation

2014

1h 40m

Comedy

Drama

List

88%

49 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Female Israeli soldiers are posted to a remote desert base and spend their time pushing paper until they can return to civilian life.

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Critics Consensus

Darkly funny and understatedly absurd, Zero Motivation is a refreshing addition to the canon of irreverent war comedies -- and an intriguing calling card for writer-director Talya Lavie.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

First time feature writer/director Talya Lavie impressively creates a witty and tangible dramedy about working women hampered by their own stagnation.

Rated: B+

Sep 2, 2017

Full Review

Tirdad Derakhshani

Philadelphia Inquirer

A delightful, sharp dramedy that skewers the topic from every angle imaginable.

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 27, 2015

Full Review

Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

Divided into three loosely connected stories involving the same players, "Zero Motivation" is strongest in its characters and its connection to an Israeli reality we can feel even if we've never experienced it.

Jan 15, 2015

Full Review

Michael J. Casey

Boulder Weekly

Apparently, there isn't much difference between a desert army base and a suburban office building.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 12, 2020

Full Review

Dan Scully

Cinema76

At the end of the day, Zero Motivation is a well-paced, very funny, effectively dramatic character piece with a mind toward feminism and personal growth.

Apr 10, 2020

Full Review

VyceVictus

Birth.Movies.Death.

Zero Motivation is a laugh out loud, sharp and uproarious comedy with a solid sense of heart.

Feb 6, 2020

Full Review

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dave s

Zero Motivation tells the story of young women performing their mandatory service with the Israel Defense Forces, stationed in the administration office of an isolated desert base. In an effort to make their time more tolerable, they resort to singing, finetuning their Minesweeper skills, and keeping their treasured staple guns well hidden, among other things. The film, which is divided into three stories, swings between dry comedy and impactful drama. It is well written, beautifully photographed, and well-acted, but could have had more punch had the characters been more clearly developed. Despite this minor criticism, Zero Motivation is a solid debut for promising first-time director Talya Lavie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is writer-director Talya Lavie's Israeli answer to M*A*S*H, a dark comedy more about bureaucracy than war, except insofar as it includes an epic staple-gun battle. Dana Ivgy and Nelly Tagar put in fine performances as friends in a desert camp's administrative unit.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

amazing. amazing. amazing. totally unforgettable. loved every moment of it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Rotten Tomatoes description for this film is inaccurate, and the film is highly overrated. Neither I nor my two friends found the film funny at all, there was nothing "quick witted" about it, and overall it was dark and depressing. We stopped watching it about half-way through. None of the top critics' reviews raved about it either. We would give it a rating no higher than 40%. It was neither entertaining, humorous, nor gripping.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

So much potential wasted on two bratty leads.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A darkly comic military satire that offers new dimensions and exciting characters.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

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Talya Lavie

Director

Dana Ivgy

Zohar

Nelly Tagar

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Synopsis

Female Israeli soldiers are posted to a remote desert base and spend their time pushing paper until they can return to civilian life.

Director: Talya Lavie
Producer: Eilon Ratzkovsky
Screenwriter: Talya Lavie
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: Hebrew
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 20, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $101.7K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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