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| Monday, November 21, 2005 |
A holiday movie for the rest of us
Siblings Benyamin and Chanie Cohen both went out and saw Ushpizin. While they may have the same genetic code, they don't have the same opinion of this Israeli film.
She said: In the Israeli film Ushpizin, directed by Gidi Dar, two escaped convicts visit an ultra-Orthodox family in the Meah Shearim section of Jerusalem on the holiday of Sukkot, where the couple are going through particularly troubled times of their own.
During the first few minutes of the movie, I have to admit that skepticism overtook me. The last time I saw Chassidic garb on the big screen was in A Stranger Among Us, where Melanie Griffith (not very plausibly) seduces a Chassidic man in Williamsburg. And the gap-toothed convict in the movie brought back childhood memories of the same hokey-looking criminals in Home Alone.
But as the movie progressed, I found myself forgetting my original cynicism, and being drawn into the extremely moving, touching, and even humorous story. The lead actor (who also wrote the script for the film), Shuli Rand, excels at portraying human emotion (without even reading the subtitles, you can interpret his happiness, sadness, and anger just in his eyes), and his on-screen wife (who is actually his real-life spouse), gives a brave and affecting performance herself. The onscreen chemistry between them was clear, without a single kiss shown during the entire movie.
And where with A Stranger Among Us, Orthodox moviegoers found themselves yelling at the screen with the inconsistencies of how unrealistically (and detrimentally) Chassidic life is portrayed, they will find heartening how realistic this movie gets the job done. That's probably because (as I found out afterward), the movie was actually filmed on location in Jerusalem and many of the speaking parts in the film were cast to formerly secular actors who became religious themselves.
The movie's message: everything in life happens for a reason, and the obstacles that we face are tests of faith that we must overcome. Hokey? Yes. But a good time at the movies? Absolutely.
He said: With most movies I see, they rarely ever live up to the hype. So most movies I see are at a tremendous disadvantage. With expectations set high, it's not too often that they actually deliver. George Clooney's sleep-inducing Good Night, and Good Luck is a recent example.
So with Ushpizin, I had heard this was It's A Wonderful Life for Jews (which, admittedly, piqued my interest). That, I knew, was already strike one. I already knew it wasn't actually going to be a classic and timeless holiday film that would be cherished for generations and aired on television every year.
Nonetheless, I was still excited. So let me say it now: This film is not bad, but it's not that great either. It's got a ho-hum storyline and the acting is just fine. But like every other Jewish film I see, it preys on such stereotypes as to make the film an unenjoyable experience. Why does every movie with Jews in it have to show such extremes -- a Chassid, an atheist? Why can't the American public be exposed to non-fanatics such as, and this is just one example, Modern Orthodox Jews -- who lead realtively average lives of being a doctor or a lawyer, but also keep kosher and observe Shabbat?
Curb Your Enthusiasm, which is one of the most prescient shows on television today, comes close to showing America what a "normal" Jew is in this country. This season alone has shown High Holiday services, a Passover Seder, and Larry affixing a mezuzah on his doorpost -- although he used a commemorative nail from the Passion of the Christ. He's a typical American Reform Jew. And it's important for our country -- who often believe in ridiculous misnomers about Jews -- to be exposed to the non-fanatical side of our religion.
All that being said, Ushpizin is a pleasant way to spend two hours. And after reading my review, there's no way the hype will ruin it for you.
Ushpizin opens in Atlanta on Wednesday, November 23, at the Landmark Midtown Art theater. For showtimes, click here.
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