Set in Brooklyn from D-Day to the formation of the state of Israel shortly after the war, this movie is about the friendship between two Jewish boys - one modern, the other Hassidic. While much of the movie offers a look into the mysteries of the strict and somewhat isolated sect of Hassidism, there is enough character development with the two boys to keep the movie rightfully centered there and always entertaining. The conflicts between the two boys' cultures, and an even bigger one between the Hassidic boy and his Rabii father, are handled with intelligence and aplomb. There is also a great feel for 1940s Brooklyn. Very well done.
The Chosen
This is not your typical hollywood blockbuster affair. It will probably be more enjoyed by a more mature audiance who are interested in movies that display character studies and a good story. The acting in most parts is very good as well as the cinematography and the over all pace of the movie. Tackling many issues of the day it was set, it gives a wonderful insight into human nature and an often misunderstood American subculture.
Interesting drama that leaves you feeling good.
A very entertaining coming-of-age story that encourages a person to think about many aspects of their lives. Danny Saunders, played by Robby Benson, is the son of an ultra-orthodox rabbi who breaks out of his family traditions in order to pursue his own dreams. He endures the prejudices commonly expressed by many people in 1940s New York, yet he keeps such a positive outlook on his life and his future. He doesn't give in to the hatred and the anger that many movies of this subject matter seem to revolve around. I'm glad I added this one to my collection. It was money well spent.
Hasidic Jews seem alien, and even hostile, to those outside their culture, which frequently includes other Jews. They dress differently, don't mingle between the sexes, speak Yiddish, and wear side curls, all in an attempt to rigorously follow the commandments of the Torah. They tend to keep to themselves, shunning television and the media so outside influences cannot corrupt their values and views. Yet filmmakers Oren Rudavsky and Menachem Daum were able to enter their world, and the result is the fascinating documentary A Life Apart: Hasidism in America. Using interviews with academics and members of the community and some historical footage, the filmmakers trace the growth of Hasidic groups in the United States. Groups formed around particular Rebbes (learned leaders) and... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Menachem Daum - Oren Rudavsky DVD Release Date: Released the 17 July 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $29.95 Your Price: $26.96YOU SAVE $2.99!
Buy it
Some years ago I watched this film during a brus trip from Oviedo to Barcelona and it changed my life in a radical and most wonderful way. It discovered me the _bashert_ (= destiny, our other half) reality and Jewish life. It helped me to understand that meaning and warm are still available in the world. It introduce me the reality I have always dreamed to discover. So I have no words to express what this superb film did for me. If you want to discover something incredible about life, you should not miss it. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Melanie Griffith Director(s): Sidney Lumet DVD Release Date: Released the 03 June 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $9.99 Your Price: $9.99YOU SAVE $0!
Buy it
I am still crying from having just watched this. If you are moved by examples of people being kind and noble despite their own pain and loss, then I can't recommend this little gem highly enough. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Laura Fraser (II) Director(s): Jeroen Krabbé DVD Release Date: Released the 10 July 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $14.98 Your Price: $13.48YOU SAVE $1.5!
Buy it
Otto Preminger's 1960 adaptation of Leon Uris's novel is a sprawling 220-minute tale of the founding of modern Israel, starring Paul Newman as a Resistance leader. The film works best as an example of Preminger's estimable skill with all levels of drama and action, but as a reflection upon history it is compromised by stereotypes, unpersuasive relationships, and a certain moral ambivalence about issues related to the subject. There are good and exciting sequences, however, particularly one involving an effort to break through a British blockade and get to the homeland. --Tom KeoghMore Info about this DVD Actor(s): Paul Newman - Eva Marie Saint Director(s): Otto Preminger DVD Release Date: Released the 15 October 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $14.94 Your Price: $13.45YOU SAVE $1.49!
Buy it
This 2000 Israeli film is as fresh as today's headlines. Set in a settlement in Israel it's about a radical rabbi and his ardent followers, two best friends who compete for the rabbi's daughter, and the ongoing conflicts of orthodoxy and secularism in Israel.
The film is as bleak as the landscape around the settlement. And the rabbi's radicalism is the one thing that keeps the young men bound together. One of them is in the army and creates a religious unit much to the concern of his superiors who distrust the radicalism, even though the soldiers perform well. Another young man is the scholar and the rabbi wants him to marry his daughter. Alas, though, she prefers the soldier. Trouble follows. She leaves the settlement and goes to the city where she finds an... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Aki Avni - Tinkerbell Director(s): Joseph Cedar DVD Release Date: Released the 10 September 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $29.95 Your Price: $26.96YOU SAVE $2.99!
Buy it
