Chaya Sara Oppenheim’s review of The Offering combines a close reading of the film’s Jewish details as well as the bigger message of the meaning of family in the face of horror.
“If the man on the London bus was the impetus for committing to make the film, this man in his prized, hateful jacket validated that commitment.”
Thomas Roth tells the story of “law, justice and revenge” in Schächten – A Retribution, a post-war thriller.
Set in an Italian villa, “Where Life Begins” is the story of a young Haredi woman and a divorced farmer who both long to break free.
A community of observant Orthodox Jews in Uganda, with no genetic link to Israel, wants to make Aliyah.
Golden Voices is a superbly acted comedy portraying the struggles of Victor (Vladimir Friedman) and Raya (Mariya Belkina), a Russian couple adapting to their new life in Tel Aviv.
Repetition mixed with monotony is not usually high up on Hollywood’s list of project themes, which is why Hulu’s Palm Springs was such a delightful surprise. The film stars Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother) as two apathetic California wedding guests who get stuck in a Groundhog Day-like time loop, forcing them to relive the couple’s special day over and over again. For a film that was shot in pre-coronavirus times, Palm Springs is surprisingly relevant.
This film is an insightful view into the life of a little-known luminary, replete with wonderful archival footage (not only of pre-state Jerusalem but also of his and his wife’s mime performances), whose legacy would otherwise be unknown to almost all of us.
The filmmaker went to major lengths to use what he called distancing devices—shots at odd angles and no melody—to keep the audience from identifying with the murderer.
