The Human Resources Manager (Eran Riklis, 2010): Israel/Germany/France

Reviewed by Tyler Gilbert. Viewed at the Mann Chinese Theatre, AFI Film Festival, Hollywood.

Set in the crumbling world of Israel, The Human Resources Manager, directed by Eran Riklis, takes one man on a journey that challenges his morals and impels him to reconsider his actions. Based on the novel by Abraham B. Jehoshua, the film brings to light questions of life and death as the Human Resources Manager (Mark Ivanir) attempts to bring the body of one of his deceased employees to its rightful final resting place. Taking home Best Picture, Best Soundtrack, and Best Director at the Ophir Awards, the film offered a unique perspective into the lives of the family who lost their loved one and into the challenges faced by the Human Resources Manager with his own family. Although the film is constructed along a dramatic premise, it also flourishes through comedy, which casts a lighthearted mood overall and makes it a pleasant adventure for not only the audience, but for the characters as well. We see in the film that, while the Human Resources Manager is upset that he must go through the trial of delivering the body, he never really wants to go home. Wrapped up in his late employee’s son’s—called “the boy” (Noah Silver)—grief and the opportunity of the adventure that he so needs in his life, the Human Resources Manager actually partially dismisses his family and some of the obligations he has towards them while he is on his mission.

The film deals heavily with the prospect of change. It begins with the Human Resources Manager stuck in this dead-end, cubicle-enclosed job. And although he dislikes his job, and wants more out of life, when the death of his employee threatens his career, he is so lodged in this repetitive, boring world that he is reluctant for the change. It is only when he begins the journey and forms an unforeseen bond with the employee’s son that he realizes the greatness in a life unenclosed in a cubicle. The other characters find the positivity in change as well. The boy is originally established as a kind of homeless punk, living in a wasteland and hiding from the law. Having always disagreed strongly with his father, the boy grows up without the guidance of a parent. His change comes in the form of finding not only a father figure in the Human Resources Manager, but a close friend as well. The film is dramatic at times, but largely positive, explaining that, while change can often be hard to cope with, if you let it happen, things will get better.

The Human Resources Manager is several kinds of movies wrapped into one: the road movie, the coming-of-age story, the adventure, the comedy, and the drama all wrapped into one. It offers a unique perspective on the idea of change and turns what many think is a negative thing into a positive one. The film is entertaining and humorous for a drama, and I found myself laughing frequently and enthralled by the characters’ interactions with one another. Despite the often frozen scenery of the film, the tone is always warm and cheerful. It is definitely an extraordinary story of trial after trial, and finding success in unlikely and unexpected places. I recommend the film for those who do not wish their minds to get caught in the muddle of messy relationships and heartbreaks. Embrace the witty comedy of this unusual drama and witness how ordinary life can reveal the extraordinary.