‘Let It Be Morning’ Review: A Wry, Low-Key Satire of Israeli-Palestinian Tensions From the Director of ‘The Band’s Visit’

In a small Arabic village in Israel, at what is meant to be the emotional crescendo of a crowded, elaborate wedding, several cages are opened to release a flight of doves into the air. Except “a waddle of doves” might be a more appropriate term, given the birds’ reluctance to spread their wings, as they tip-claw tentatively into the outside world. One of the funniest visual gags in Israeli writer-director Eran Kolirin’s “Let It Be Morning” is also its most telling: This is a farce of stasis, not frenzied activity. By holding his characters literally captive — as the village is held, absurdly but violently, under siege — Kolirin forges an actual microcosm through which to examine the social and political status of Israel’s Arab community.The comedy that results is wry and thoughtfully observed, with its feet planted almost obstinately on the ground. While there’s a topicality to ...