Not Quite Paradise

Not Quite Paradise
Not Quite Paradise
	Film poster
Directed by	Lewis Gilbert
Written by	Paul Kember
Produced by	Lewis Gilbert; William P. Cartlidge;
Starring	Joanna Pacuła; Sam Robards; Kevin McNally; Todd Graff; Selina Cadell; Ewan Stewart;
Cinematography	Tony Imi
Edited by	Alan Strachan
Music by	Gian Piero Reverberi; Rondo Veneziano;
Distributed by	J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (UK); Anchor Bay Entertainment (US);
Release dates	28 March 1985 (UK); 6 June 1986 (US);
Running time	114 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Not Quite Paradise is a 1985 British comedy-drama directed by Lewis Gilbert. It was originally released in Europe under the title Not Quite Jerusalem, adapted by Paul Kember from his 1982 play of the same name.

It was filmed on two kibbutzim, Eilot and Grofit, as well as at the Mikveh Israel Agricultural School.^[1]

Plot

Six naive British and American volunteers arrive on kibbutz Kfar Ezra for a working holiday, exchanging their labour for the opportunity to experience first-hand its unique collective lifestyle. When Mike (Sam Robards), a young medical student, falls in love with Gila (Joanna Pacuła), the Israeli girl who is organising the volunteers' work and accommodation, he must choose between a life with her and returning home.

Cast

Joanna Pacuła as Gila
Sam Robards as Mike
Kevin McNally as Pete
Todd Graff as Rothwell T. Schwartz
Selina Cadell as Carrie
Ewan Stewart as Angus
Bernard Strother as Dave
Kate Ingram as Grace
Gary Cady as Steve
Naomi Rosenberg as Finnish Twin
Schuli Rosenberg as Finnish Twin
Yaacov Ben Sira as Dobush
Esti-Katz as Rivka
Aharon Greener as Asher
Zafrir Kochanovsky as Menachem
Libby Morris as Mrs. Schwartz
Bernard Spear as Mr. Schwartz
Poly Reshef as Ami
Irit Frank as Nurse

Critical reception

Not Quite Paradise received very poor reviews. Nina Darnton of The New York Times panned the film as "an example of a good idea spoiled by a hackneyed, heavy-handed script, awkward directorial pacing, and posed acting... The script, while trying to humorously characterize national stereotypes, succeeds only in being insulting."^[2] Joe Baltake of Philly.com called it "annoyingly schizophrenic – thuddingly humorless when it isn't shockingly offensive."^[3] In a savage review in the Los Angeles Times, Patrick Goldstein argued that an "awkward" and "uneven" script, "a paucity of intriguing characters", and an overwrought soundtrack of quivering violins "delivers a dreary, cliché-ridden film with all the wallop of a sheaf of crumbling parchment paper."^[4]

London's Time Out contrasted the "strong material" in Paul Kember's original play to this melodramatic, "caramelized" screen version: "Gilbert has created a toffee-apple with the apple removed: bite through the sweet crust of romantic Holy Land locations, handsome Israelis, dashing Arab terrorists and corny jokes, and what remains is sheer emptiness."^[5] TV Guide was equally dismissive, noting, "the world of an Israeli kibbutz is reduced to a few simple-minded cinematic clichés... no different from a boarding school or overnight camp. The only really indigenous thing to be found here is the beautifully photographed Israeli scenery, which borders on travelog material rather than background setting."^[6]