Directed by:
Joshua Z WeinsteinPlots(1)
Deep in the heart of New York's ultra-orthodox Hasidic Jewish community, Menashe, a kind, hapless grocery store clerk, struggles to make ends meet and responsibly parent his young son, Rieven, following his wife Leah's death. Tradition prohibits Menashe from raising his son alone, so Rieven's strict uncle adopts him, leaving Menashe heartbroken. Meanwhile, though Menashe seems to bungle every challenge in his path, his rabbi grants him one special week with Rieven before Leah's memorial. It's his chance to prove himself a suitable man of faith and fatherhood, and restore respect among his doubters. (Sundance Film Festival)
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Reviews (3)
Though definitely not breathtaking, Menashe certainly offer an interesting insight into the rules of operation of the
Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. The community’s rabbi decides whether a little boy will remain in the care of
his father, the main character of the film, who has been a widower for a year and is a somewhat clumsy, hapless
individual… [Karlovy Vary IFF]
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It’s amazing as an insight into a community and has an amazing informative value. But as far as the movie goes, you have to decide for yourselves whether you’re willing to spend 80 minutes of your life peeking into a culture you otherwise wouldn’t get to witness, because that’s basically all this is.
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This is an unremarkable film that is somewhat spoiled by the performances, which don't look natural at all in some moments. However, on the other hand there is a great main character who carries the film by being such a dork and having problems that are normal on the one hand, strange on the other and determined by the hard to understand rules of extreme Judaism.
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Gallery (23)
Photo © Home Box Office (HBO)
![Menashe - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/163/711/163711819_00ce1f.jpg)
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