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The "Pretty Woman" star plays Norman Oppenheimer, a veteran
"fixer" in New York's Jewish community who runs into trouble
when he tries to win over a visiting Israeli politician, played
by Israeli actor Lior Ashkenazi.
In the film, screened at Jerusalem's Cinematheque on Wednesday,
Gere's character's life changes when he buys an expensive pair
of shoes for an Israeli dignitary who eventually becomes prime
minister.
Critics have said the storyline is reminiscent of the connection
between former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and a New
York-based businessman alleged to have given him cash envelopes.
Olmert is currently serving jail time for corruption.
Israeli-American writer-director Joseph Cedar said he felt
compelled to explore the life of a "fixer" - someone who thrives
on connecting with people and getting in with the right crowd -
from his own personal life experience.
"It took him (Gere) some time to feel comfortable with a
different body language, a story line that I don't think he's
ever had to bring to the screen, and gradually he felt more and
more comfortable until he really became this character," Cedar
told reporters at a news conference on Thursday.
Gere said he was not getting involved in the politics of the
region and the challenge for him was portraying an unusual
personality.
"I am not interested in politics, I am interested in human
beings. The people that I am meeting are also people who are
primarily involved with relationships and bridging the problems
between human beings... I am coming from a country that is in
deep anxiety and chaos right now," the American actor and
humanitarian activist said.
(Reporting by Lee Marzel, writing by Rinat Harash, editing by
Ori Lewis and Pritha Sarkar)
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