It seems inevitable that comparisons will be made between Tayla Lavie’s superb dark comedy "Zero Motivation" and films such as Robert Altman’s 1970 classic "M.A.S.H.," which depicted the antics of a Korean War-era outpost. This comparison makes sense, considering both films center on characters that utilize hijinks and clash with one another to keep sane during the war that lurks in the background.

The difference, however, is Lavie’s razor sharp wit and offbeat forwardness in a film that focuses on two disgruntled Israeli female soldiers stationed on a remote desert military base working in the Human Resources Office. This base is one that doesn’t see much action or gunfire beyond meetings, daily routines, seamlessly endless paper shredding and the consistent indulgence in the outdated computer game Minesweeper. This boredom is the girls’ central enemy, and it’s the basis of their snarky attitude, clashing personalities, tension and eagerness of escape back into civilian life.

"Zero Motivation" shows one more time at the Milwaukee Film Festival on Sunday, Oct. 5 at the Downer Theater at 1:45 p.m. 

As "Zero Motivation" opens, two best friends Zohar (Dana Ivgy) and Daffi (Nelly Tagar) are cramped onto a bus heading back to base, both not too excited to return. A seemingly chronic whiner and emotionally on-the-edge, Daffi goes as far as to write letters to the Chief of Staff begging to transfer to Tel Aviv, a more sleek and urban military base with more of an upward opportunity.

This doesn’t work to her favor, however, and she ends up bursting into tears on more than one occasion to express her misery. In the office, the actions – or the lack-of actions actually – infuriates Rama (Shani Klein), the commanding officer who sees her own chances of advancement within the military complex threatened by the girls’ slacking in the office.

Daffi proves to be incompetent through the work as the "Paper & Shredding NCO," which commands her to shred unwanted documents. This, according to Rama, is all that she’s good for. With Daffi constantly expressing her desperation to transfer to Tel Aviv and venturing into officer training to help that goal, Zohar worries that her friend is abandoning her and makes it a goal to find a way to have her stay.

Similarly to Daffi, Zohar shows a bit of incompetence in the office as well. When she’s instructed by Rama to get rid of a stain on the officer’s uniform, Zohar purposely cuts the stain out of the shirt rather than simply washing it. She’s by far the most rebellious of the group, but is irking to lose her virginity and desires a more independent lifestyle – even if that lifestyle involves continuously trying to achieve the next highest level on Minesweeper.

Lavie, making her feature debut, manages to craft a unique and humorous war film in which doesn’t show actual war. As mentioned before, the war itself is in the background and the girls are constantly reminded of it whenever they’re in trouble or when they complain about something that seems only mundane in comparison.

In one particular scene, one of the girls is asked, "You realize we’re here to serve the system, right?" after she shows her grievance and annoyance. Although the film manages to maintain its comedic tone throughout, there’s an under layer of tragedy in the midst, and we’re constantly reminded of it along with the girls who seem to be stuck in their own little worlds focusing on their own pursuits.

Over the course of three interconnected chapters, Lavie keeps the cameras close on the characters that sludge through military life as if its banality is far too overwhelming. Lavie never lets the girls trail off base as most of the film takes place on the location, which itself is very confined by its bare, tan-colored walls and its prison camp-like exterior. This confinement of space, no matter what takes place inside, is an example of the girls’ own confinement within the Israeli military complex.

Despite this, Lavie barely wants to make overbearing political statements. Instead, she keeps the seriousness surrounding the characters grounded but not so much the characters’ angst. 

"Zero Motivation," which won Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, is a humorous and clever workplace comedy that recalls a slice of the same satire of the white-collar system in "Office Space."

Everyone has a role in this military complex, much like someone would in an office, but for these girls, the work that’s asked of them involves doing something that isn’t anywhere near the action. Instead, the closest to combat they’ll ever experience is by turning into each other’s enemies with office supplies, especially a rabid staple gun or two, as their source of weaponry (there’s an actual staple gun fight near the end of the film and it’s hilariously crazy.) 

This is all too fun to watch, no matter how bored and angsty the characters seem to be. 

"Zero Motivation": ****