[HANASHIR:12014] Re: Film needed

[Rabbi Richard Schachet <lvrabbi...>]

thanks a bunch
----- Original Message -----
From: <jcohen (at) fas(dot)harvard(dot)edu>
To: <hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 7:03 AM
Subject: [HANASHIR:12013] Re: Film needed


> There are several wonderful semi-mainstream movies that have come out in
the
> past few years that look with a deep and entertaining eye at the American
> Jewish experience (I only state my opinion about their quality):
>
> Barry Levinson's trio on a Jewish family in Baltimore--especially "Avalon"
and
> more recently "Liberty Heights" are exceptional films that explore
religion,
> class and race relations in the mid 20th century.  And if I'm not
mistaken,
> they're all rated PG except for Tin Men.
>
> "A Walk on the Moon" is likewise a wonderful film exploring Jewish
bungalow
> life in the Catskills during the late 1960s--at a time when Woodstock was
> literally right next door.  More adult-themed (it centers around an
adulterous
> affair), but really, really good.
>
> "Focus" came out last year, and is based on Arthur Miller's play dealing
with
> anti-semitism.  I haven't seen the film, but I've heard great reviews for
it.
>
> Into European films:
>
> Another recent film that I personally loved was "The Governess"--about a
> Sephardic Jewish woman in ninetenth century London who takes a governess
job
> with a dour family on the British coastline.  Stars Minnie Driver, and has
> soundtrack by Ofra Haza (z"l).  It's not explicitly about Judaism--but
then
> again, perhaps it is implicitly, bvy the subject matter.
>
> "Sunshine" is another great (three-hour-long) film, looking at three
> generations of a Jewish family in Europe (the protagonist of each
generation is
> played by Ralph Fiennes)--again, not about the Jewish experience, but rich
in
> material for discusion about Jewish actions and choices within a
non-Jewish
> society, and the role and meaning of tradition.
>
> Then, for the sort of "out there" crowd (a true choice for an
"alternative"
> service ;) ) is "Pi," Darren Aronofsky's low-budget techno-thriller in
which a
> Jewish mathematician discovers how to predict randomness, and is thus
pursued
> by a Wall Street Firm and a group of Lubavitsch Chassidim, each of which
wants
> his secret in order to unravel their own relative understandings of the
> universe.  Gets really metaphysical and philosophical (and whacked out),
but I
> found it brilliant, and it may well appeal to the techie and teen set.
>
> There are plenty of others--"Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Enemies:  A Love
> Story," etc.--but I hope thus brings some less well known (and equally
> deserving) films into view.
>
> > It is our custom, at the afternoon break of Yom Kippur from
> > 12:30-4:00 P.M. to show a film and have a discussion.  This is for
> > those who want to stay in shull all day and not go home.
> >
> > Films like "A Price Above Rubies" and Yentel have been seen so far
> > and received well.
> >
> > We are looking for ideas for another film we can rent from a film
> > rental store or the like.  Any suggestions are appreciated.
> > Rabbi  Richard Schachet
> > Valley Outreach Synagogue
> > <http://www.valleyoutreach.com>www.valleyoutreach.com
> >
> > "The past has a vote, not a veto"
> > Mordecai Kaplan, z'l
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>

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