AllMovie

A boy must question the sincerity and intentions of adults -- including his father -- in this coming of age drama from Israeli filmmaker Ori Ravid. Eli (Yuval Shevach) is a twelve-year-old boy with a mischievous streak who is dealing with most of the usual annoyances facing a boy his age -- the school bullies keep picking on his decidedly nerdy friends, and he has a crush on a cute girl who only has eyes for another boy. But these troubles fade into insignificance when his father Ben (Lior Ashkenazi) becomes the focus of a scandal. Ben is an architect working for the city, and he's been accused of taking thousands of dollars in bribes; Ben insists he's innocent, but if an investigation proves otherwise, he could face a lengthy prison sentence. The accusations against Eli's father become a major news story and the talk of his classmates. As Eli deals with the stress and uncertainty, he's befriended by Amos (Tzahi Grad), a police detective who wants to help him with his problems. But Eli isn't certain if Amos is sincere in his interest, or if he's just looking for information about Ben. Eli and Ben was an official selection at the 2010 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.