A new series on Netflix came out this past week which is the brainchild of the writers of Fauda: Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz. Raz, of course, is the main star of both Fauda and the new one, Hit & Run.
The series has had mixed reviews. The general consensus is that it starts at strong as an excellent piece of drama and action, which the Israeli screen has become known for, however it seems to have just a few too many twists and turns and starts to bog down in the unrealistic scenes involving the NY police department and penal system. Or you know, basically Fauda comes to NY. So far it has received a 7.2 on IMDB and a 78% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, i.e. it's good and it's entertaining but it could be better. That being said, it was the #1 show on Netflix this week for good reason. The action moves back and forth from Tel Aviv to New York City and the language jumps from Hebrew to English. It's a non-stop edge of your seat action drama with a cliffhanger setting up Season Two.
A good review of it is here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/arts/television/hit-and-run-netflix-fauda.html
Israelis will nod knowingly at this one: https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/08/10/fauda-star-has-another-runaway-success-on-netflix-with-hit-run/
I have my own qualms with the show. I was most excited to discover that Raz's character, Segev Azulai, was an Israeli tour guide. Ever since Israeli screen icon Lior Ashkenazi pretended to be one in 2004's Walk on Water (he was in reality a Mossad agent) and Sacha Baron Cohen's ridiculous portrayal of Jacob in the 2010 Simpsons episode "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed," I've been waiting for the next great "tour guide movie." Unfortunately on this it disappoints.
Several things disturbed me:
1 - He was not wearing a tour guide license
2 - His vehicle did not have the Ministry of Tourism symbol on it
How difficult would it have been to actually get an accurate portrayal? I mean the Simpsons had Jacob wearing his license...
And the most disturbing thing was his hitting on his client. I mean he did end up marrying her so at least it worked out, but I can't imagine a guide risking his or her livelihood by acting in such a way.
I was so bothered by all of this that I had trouble suspending my disbelief and continuing on with the season. And then it did something awesome to get me back. When Raz's character goes to New York to meet up with an old army buddy, he actually meets up with an old army buddy... of mine!
That's right, the actor who plays Ron is none other than Gal Toren, who served with me together in my small IDF unit in the Old City of Jerusalem 25 years ago!!
The voice, the body language, the face, it was all the same. I was having flashbacks!
The show also stars Sanaa Lathan and Israeli stalwarts Ashkenazi, Igal Naor and Moran Rosenblatt, both of whom also starred in Fauda.
You can watch the trailer here:
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