The week’s openings redux: A Middle-Eastern comedy

And we have our first update to Friday's movie-opening schedule. In addition to what I've already announced, the Magic Lantern will open a second movie:

"Tel Aviv on Fire": Believe it or not, this Israeli-made film is a satirical comedy about Jewish-Palestinian relations. Yes, a comedy. Written and directed by Israeli-born Palestinian filmmaker Sameh Zoabi, the film follows a wannabe television writer who gets hired to work on a Palestinian television soap opera. Only he finds himself in a quandary: Since he knows nothing about script writing, he is forced to work with an Israeli soldier to come up with ideas.

Washington Post critic Vanessa H. Larson wrote, "In offering a comedic take on not just the hostility between Israelis and Palestinians, but also the shared history and culture that bind them, 'Tel Aviv on Fire' is an enjoyable respite from the bleakness that is far more typical of their stories."

Now, if only someone could update "Bulworth" or "Bob Roberts" to reflect today's Washington, D.C.