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FIlm Reviews

Scorcese Judges Capitalism

July 12, 2022 by Yocheved Feinerman

Scorcese and the Consequences of Capitalism

The movies, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, take on the philosophy of Capitalism.

Scorcese gives his audiences a first hand look at the toxic effects.

What is Capitalsim?

Adam Smith – the Father of Modern Capitalism 

Smith’s philosophy posits that when individuals trade, they value the purchase more than the value they give in exchange for a commodity. 

Carl Marx – the Anti-Capitalist 

It is generally assumed that Marx was an avid reader and admirer of Smith’s work.

Marx criticized various aspects of Smith’s thought and developed them as part of his theory.

The main difference is that Smith primarily looks backward, sees that things are better than they were, and offers various reforms to improve society.

Marx looks mainly to the future and believes that the future could be so much better than the present and argues for a communist revolution.

Anti-Capitalism Goes to the Movies

Taxi Driver

A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action. –IMDB

Year: 1976

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writer: Paul Schrader

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybil Shepard

Taxi Driver, starring Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, the wayward psychopathic hero.

Bickle’s thinking is deeply rooted in Capitalism, yet he is totally unfulfilled by money.

He works long hours “anytime, anywhere” and has no problem paying thousands of dollars to an arms dealer.

The scene where his unhappy consumerism can best be seen when he strikes up a conversation with the girl at the concession stand (hits on her).

Unable to initiate a conversation, he buys his way out of the dilemma, requesting a type of candy that “lasts longer.”

He is trying to purchase an idea – something long-lasting.

Something meaningful.

Goodfellas

The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mob, covering his relationship with his wife Karen Hill and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito in the Italian-American crime syndicate. –IMDB

Year: 1990

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writers: Nicholas Pileggi(book “Wiseguy”), Martin Scorsese(screenplay)

Starring: Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci

Goodfellas is a movie about how Capitalism structures our labor and our compensation, even affecting our families and relationships.

The film is a comprehensive dissection of the belief that if you get the chance to have a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.

Early in the film, Scorces’ protagonists choose work that is thrilling and fun.

Something they love and love doing together.

Though probably illegal and often immoral- their joy becomes contagious, even making the viewer envious.

But, as they age, the fantasy of the Goodfellas gradually becomes a cautionary tale.

Soon the pursuit of money, respect, and belongings became all-consuming.

Reflecting an exercise of exposing events that seem fun, glamorous, and aspirational – by revealing how people who seem wholly unbound by rules end up with lives just as limited as the rest of ours. 

Lorraine Bracco’s “Karen” takes us inside and outside the illegal, immoral, and violent work.

In voice-over, she tells Henry, and his friends are “just blue-collar guys, gaming the capitalist system.

In a coarse movie, the boundary between polite society and its criminal underbelly is far too blurred for a simple character. 

What are your thoughts?

 

Go With Yo: Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival

Go With Yo: Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival

by Yocheved Feinerman | Jun 17, 2022 | Blog, Film School

On the Go – Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival #24.

James’ Journey to Jerusalem: A Film Review

James’ Journey to Jerusalem: A Film Review

by Yocheved Feinerman | Jun 17, 2022 | Blog, FIlm Reviews, Jerusalem

Like James, I, too, experienced the disparity between what I hoped to happen and the reality of the experience. For thirteen years, I have been absorbed into this foreign culture – a culture quite different than the one for which my younger self prayed, hoped, and yearned. This Pilgrim refuses to give up. This Pilgrim’s journey continues towards Jerusalem.

Ghost: A Film Analysis

Ghost: A Film Analysis

by Yocheved Feinerman | Jan 20, 2022 | Blog, FIlm Reviews, Film School

A breakdown of the tory structure in the movie Ghost based on Save the Cat.

Meet the Parents: A Film Review

Meet the Parents: A Film Review

by Yocheved Feinerman | Jan 17, 2022 | Blog, FIlm Reviews, Film School

The Jewish presence is still a phenomenon in films, despite modernization of society and assimilation. The archetypal Jewish male can be watched at the movies, on television sets, on streamers, on phones, on the internet.

The SOPHOMORE

The SOPHOMORE

by Yocheved Feinerman | Oct 7, 2021 | Blog

The SOPHOMORE Old School Year Two is starting. Would I even be able to recognize the Yocheved that signed up for a four-year film school degree, with a focus on production, all in Hebrew, without reading the fine print – yes, it is all in Hebrew. But, what...

Eishet Chayil – A Woman’s Perspective

Eishet Chayil – A Woman’s Perspective

by Yocheved Feinerman | Sep 3, 2021 | Blog, documentary, Film School

Meet Esty Bitton Shushan the subject of this fascinating new documentary Eshet Chayil. Premiering at the Jerusalem Film Festival.

In Jerusalem with Tarantino

In Jerusalem with Tarantino

by Yocheved Feinerman | Aug 27, 2021 | Blog, Film School

Welcome to Jerusalem – Quentin Tarantino!

Tel Aviv Documentary Film Festival

Tel Aviv Documentary Film Festival

by Yocheved Feinerman | Jul 5, 2021 | Blog, Film School

That’s a wrap! Watched and chatted with Yael Bartana about her newest work Two Minutes to Midnight. Learned the secrets of documentary and the breakdown of the fourth wall from Director Marc Isaacs. Check out his latest film – The Filmaker’s House....

Shout Out to Davira

Shout Out to Davira

by Yocheved Feinerman | Oct 12, 2020 | Blog, Inspiration

Shout Out To Davira Returning from the mountains on Simchat Torah, I ran into Davira Reichman Bareli, my yoga teacher. Standing ten feet apart, wearing masks, we managed to catch up. How are you? She said. I’m actually very good — just missing your class. I answered...

Sundance: Monday

Sundance: Monday

by Yocheved Feinerman | Oct 12, 2020 | Blog, SunDance

Sunrise with Rocky Monday, October 12 Givot Dromiot Givat Dromiot Sunrise: 6:41 am Recent Posts View All Posts Don't Miss a Beat! Success! Email Subscribe...

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Go With Yo: Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival

Go With Yo: Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival

by Yocheved Feinerman | Jun 17, 2022 | Blog, Film School

On the Go – Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival #24.

James’ Journey to Jerusalem: A Film Review

James’ Journey to Jerusalem: A Film Review

by Yocheved Feinerman | Jun 17, 2022 | Blog, FIlm Reviews, Jerusalem

Like James, I, too, experienced the disparity between what I hoped to happen and the reality of the experience. For thirteen years, I have been absorbed into this foreign culture – a culture quite different than the one for which my younger self prayed, hoped, and yearned. This Pilgrim refuses to give up. This Pilgrim’s journey continues towards Jerusalem.

Ghost: A Film Analysis

Ghost: A Film Analysis

by Yocheved Feinerman | Jan 20, 2022 | Blog, FIlm Reviews, Film School

A breakdown of the tory structure in the movie Ghost based on Save the Cat.

Meet the Parents: A Film Review

Meet the Parents: A Film Review

by Yocheved Feinerman | Jan 17, 2022 | Blog, FIlm Reviews, Film School

The Jewish presence is still a phenomenon in films, despite modernization of society and assimilation. The archetypal Jewish male can be watched at the movies, on television sets, on streamers, on phones, on the internet.

The SOPHOMORE

The SOPHOMORE

by Yocheved Feinerman | Oct 7, 2021 | Blog

The SOPHOMORE Old School Year Two is starting. Would I even be able to recognize the Yocheved that signed up for a four-year film school degree, with a focus on production, all in Hebrew, without reading the fine print – yes, it is all in Hebrew. But, what...

Eishet Chayil – A Woman’s Perspective

Eishet Chayil – A Woman’s Perspective

by Yocheved Feinerman | Sep 3, 2021 | Blog, documentary, Film School

Meet Esty Bitton Shushan the subject of this fascinating new documentary Eshet Chayil. Premiering at the Jerusalem Film Festival.

In Jerusalem with Tarantino

In Jerusalem with Tarantino

by Yocheved Feinerman | Aug 27, 2021 | Blog, Film School

Welcome to Jerusalem – Quentin Tarantino!

Tel Aviv Documentary Film Festival

Tel Aviv Documentary Film Festival

by Yocheved Feinerman | Jul 5, 2021 | Blog, Film School

That’s a wrap! Watched and chatted with Yael Bartana about her newest work Two Minutes to Midnight. Learned the secrets of documentary and the breakdown of the fourth wall from Director Marc Isaacs. Check out his latest film – The Filmaker’s House....

Shout Out to Davira

Shout Out to Davira

by Yocheved Feinerman | Oct 12, 2020 | Blog, Inspiration

Shout Out To Davira Returning from the mountains on Simchat Torah, I ran into Davira Reichman Bareli, my yoga teacher. Standing ten feet apart, wearing masks, we managed to catch up. How are you? She said. I’m actually very good — just missing your class. I answered...

Sundance: Monday

Sundance: Monday

by Yocheved Feinerman | Oct 12, 2020 | Blog, SunDance

Sunrise with Rocky Monday, October 12 Givot Dromiot Givat Dromiot Sunrise: 6:41 am Recent Posts View All Posts Don't Miss a Beat! Success! Email Subscribe...

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Next Entries »

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Filed Under: Blog, FIlm Reviews Tagged With: film review

Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: An Analysis

July 11, 2022 by Yocheved Feinerman Leave a Comment

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Year: 2011

Directors: William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg

Writer: William Joyce 

The Movie

The 2011 animated short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, an allegory about the curative powers of story, won the hearts of children, adults, film festival judges, and Best Animated Short Film at the 84th Annual Academy Awards. 

Directors William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg wowed audiences by synthesizing cutting-edge modern tools with traditional cinematic elements. Computer animation, miniatures, and conventional hand-drawn techniques visually bring to life the story of a man who gives his life to books. 

This blog intends to examine three modes of cinematic expression in the short film: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. Specifically the use of iconography, color, and composition.

Iconography

Iconography is an essential part of film and television shows, with specific visual images or symbols used to convey critical information about the story, genre, or timeframe. 

When Morris Lessmore is blown out of his stasis by the inciting incident of a storm, he grabs his book while the storm blows away buildings. The iconography of the images and symbols of the storm provides visual clues to the viewer, referencing the genre, the theme, and the plot. 

This story is a modern tribute to an old world. A silent film paying homage to the world of yesterday – a world in which printed books inhabited our world.

  • The viewer immediately understands the significance of a storm blowing away buildings in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Our minds and hearts are taken back to 2005 and the devastation caused by the real-life Hurricane Katrina. 
  • Morris Lessmore’s grey suit, walking stick, and porkpie hat will remind cinephiles of the silent film actor Buster Keaton. Specifically, in the storm scene from the 1928 film Steamboat Bill, Jr.
  • The storm’s visual images are also inspired by the tornado scene in the 1939 classic, The Wizard of Oz. Also, as the use of color (see below).
  • The nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty
  • The story Treasure Island

Color

A color is a powerful tool in cinematic expression. On the surface, making images dynamic, colorful, and beautiful. However, with the proper uses, color in the film tells a story. This is evident in the Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.

  • Like The Wizard of Oz, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore utilizes the contrast of color and black and white as a narrative device. The black and white represent the storm’s sadness and despair.
  • When the hurricane descends, the colors darken. After the storm, the color grey marks utter devastation. Morris wanders in the grey, conveying a feeling of sadness and boredom until the Lovely Lady hands him a copy of Humpty Dumpty. The color is restored, marking Morris’s newfound happiness. 
  • Morris himself attain color when entering his new home, the library. The people waiting in line are grey and only become colorful after borrowing books from Morris’s library. The use of color marks the significance of books in people’s lives. (Similar to the movie Pleasantville.)

Composition 

The composition, the arrangement of visual elements to convey an intended message, is seen in The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.  

According to Dr. Anette Hagen, “The Potential for Aesthetic Experience in a Literary App” the composition of the film and the app is minimal, conveying a world of minimalism to the viewer: less is more.

  • The character Morris Lessmore is the only human character with a name.
  • The character of Morris Lessmore appears in every frame of the film.
  • Morris Lessmore’s life is minimal. His life involves only books. He has no family, no romance, and no ordinary life. 

Conclusion

It is evident that the three modes of cinematic expression, color, composition, and iconography, found in The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, contribute to the immense pleasure of audiences of all ages and all nationalities. 

Bibliography

Moonbot Studios

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: Film for Book Lovers Wins Oscar

The Potential for Aesthetic Experience in a Literary App: An analysis of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

 (Adapted from a paper written for Cinematic Expression Course with Professor Anat Kapach)

Filed Under: Blog, FIlm Reviews Tagged With: Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, film

James’ Journey to Jerusalem: A Film Review

June 17, 2022 by Yocheved Feinerman 2 Comments

We Journey to Jerusalem

I know what you are thinking, how could the protagonist in Director Ra’anan Alexandrowicz‘s movie, a 24-year-old preacher from the imaginary village of Entshongwen, be me, a 41-year-old filmmaker, suburban wife, and mom. We don’t look alike – we are of different genders. We were born in other parts of the world. We pray to a different G-d. We wear different clothes. Listen to different music. 

And yet – I am James, and James is me. Who is this “James” I keep referring to, you ask. 

Meet James, the Pilgrim

James (Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe), the protagonist of James’ Journey to Jerusalem, is the son of a Zulu preacher and the next in line to become a pastor, sent from his African village to pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem. The villagers sing, “Jerusalem, you are our destiny—the place where our dreams lie.” But, upon landing, James finds himself in contemporary Israel instead of a land flowing with milk and honey. 

 

Upon arrival at the airport, James is stopped. Interrogated by a cynical immigration agent (Yael Leventhal), who mocks James’ naivety, not believing for a moment that James is a pilgrim. Instead suspects him of being an illegal worker. Played comically by the actress, her character silences James repeatedly – refusing to hear his pleas, to believe his dreams. No Jerusalem for James – James is sent to jail. 

 

She is doing a good thing – right? An honorable thing. She is clearing the street of undesirables – of the “Africans” people who have come to Israel to steal our jobs. Take food out of our children’s mouths. Disrespect the country that our grandfathers and grandmothers sacrificed so much for. It’s her job to tell him the truth. To wake him up. 

 

I mean, why else is he here – you can imagine, she asks herself. What could be here – everyone we know – at least the smart ones that we know are trying to leave – are trying to check out of the country, not check in. Silicon Valley, New York, LA, Miami, not Jerusalem. Their money grows on trees. There is the opportunity – not here – not in this cramped office – with yellowing posters of travel destinations. What could James possibly want here? Israel is a wasteland – a swap filled with malaria. Surrounded by dangerous enemies, the Arabs. 

 

And this is just the beginning. Like Abraham before him, James faces test after test. 

 

Test After Test

Shimi (Salim Daw), a contractor of foreign workers, releases him on bail to work with him. However, after James explains that he did not travel to Israel to work, Shimi clarifies that since he paid for his release, James now owes him. So, James interrupts his journey to work for Shimi. 

 

Shimi tries to gain a profit at James’ expense and makes him work for other people as well, and Shimi’s wife sees him as a kind of amusement. Salah, Shimi’s father, soon discovers that James is exceptionally lucky rolling dice, and he decides to exploit this to win in backgammon games against his friends. James hopes to pay his debt to Shimi so he can finally reach Jerusalem, but as time passes, he learns how to conduct with the locals. Salah keeps telling good-hearted and guileless James, “Don’t be a frayer (sucker),” Eventually, James ceases to be one.

 

Stop: This Movie is Racist

At this point in the movie, one of my classmates stood up, frustrated, “why are we watching this movie? This is making fun of my Iraqi family members.” Such classmate is the friend (if I may be so bold as to actually call him that) that often encourages me, similar to the fictional character of Salah, to not be a “frayarit,” to stand up for myself, fight back, and say no, stop being so nice. So interested, stop caring so much. He was the one that cheered me on after I stood up to the class bully at 2 am, after working on the set for 18+ hours- and said “enough” and got in my car and drove away – good, he cheered. You won’t get by in this society by acting like a frayer- if you want respect – you have to earn it – how does one achieve it – by standing up for themselves. So see, you don’t have to take it – good for you – don’t let people take advantage of you. 

 

Another classmate taught me the art of “minimum al haminimum” stop jumping up – stop seeing what needs to be done and doing it. Who cares? It’s not your problem – let him figure it out. Tafkidim Achi, another phrase thrown around in film school, stay in your lane. That’s not your problem. Don’t worry about others – worry about yourself. Bekitzur (in short), you are a friar(it), and friarits won’t succeed here. The only way to grow (to survive?) -is to be like us.

 

Are You A Frayer?

Director  Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, in an interview with Liza Bear , explains that James, “… symbolizes for me our confusion with ourselves at the moment. It’s about this concept of frayer, a Yiddish slang word for a sucker. I think it comes from German, actually. Salah is teaching James not to be a frayer—to be strong, to not let go of anything—just as he did his own son. But afterward, his sons—his real son and his adopted son, James—turn against him, and Salah finds himself in a weak position with them. At one point, James tells him, “Look, you can get a million dollars for your plot of land. Why don’t you take it? Don’t be a frayer. Take it.” It’s the other way around now. But Salah thinks, “If I take the money, I’m frayer. What do I gain from it?” 

 

This is perhaps something the Israeli consciousness should understand: that now we are trapped. Perhaps our way out is through being precisely the opposite of what we believe—the opposite of being strong. So yes. James changes into someone who won’t be a frayer anymore, then makes enemies and hurts others. But then, at the film’s end, he wakes up and finds who he was and what he is now. And this is something that I hope for us very much.

 

When you look at the political problems in my country, we’ve been trying to solve them for decades by not being anyone’s ‘frayer.’ It’s not working out for us. In the long term, it doesn’t work for any society. You make some short-term benefits, but in the long term, you pay a high price for not being a ‘frayer.”

 

For James and I and other Pilgrims, there is no shortage of tests as we journey to Jerusalem. We left it all, our homeland, our families, our material comforts, for the Promised Land. And like the spies in the desert, we see it all. You’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. 

 

We get it. James got it. 

 

Soon, he, too, discovered that to survive, he couldn’t beat them. James must join them. So, he starts managing his foreign worker friends and soon becomes a cheap labor contractor like Shimi. James buys himself nice clothes, a mobile phone, and a TV. As a result, he forgets about the pilgrimage. Eventually, James remembers the original reason for arriving in Israel, but it is already too late – he is arrested by the immigration police and transferred to an Israeli prison. The prison is located in the Russian Compound in Jerusalem, so as he is handcuffed, James finally gets to see the city to which his village prays.

 

The Audience Responds

James’ Journey to Jerusalem, received critical acclaim both in Israel and abroad. A winner of the Cannes Film Festival in 2003, the Toronto International Film Festival in 2003, London Film Festival in 2003; Jerusalem International Film Festival in 2003 (Special Jury Prize; Best Actor Prize); and many more. 

 

The audience finds it very amusing, his corruption, his accommodation to the system. But his change is necessary to a certain extent because we don’t live in imaginary villages. 

 

Robert Colson, an assistant professor of interdisciplinary humanities at Brigham Young University International Cinema, said that the movie “takes what seems like a light-hearted approach to a serious topic. James goes through much of the movie with a naïve hope and a belief that what he’s going to find will meet his expectations despite the reality he faces. On the one hand, we see this Pilgrim’s view – a hope to find something. On the other hand, the film shows us the reality of things. It takes James a while to see the truth of his situation: detention, racism, manipulation, and language and cultural barriers. The film shows, through a migrant youth, the contrast between the disparity of what one hopes to happen and the reality of experience.”

 

Like James, I, too, experienced the disparity between what I hoped to happen and the reality of the experience. For thirteen years, I have been absorbed into this foreign culture – a culture quite different than the one for which my younger self prayed, hoped, and yearned. This Pilgrim refuses to give up.  This Pilgrim’s journey continues towards Jerusalem.

 

Director Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, admits that “Some levels of the film may not be easily understood outside Israel. For instance, James’s most substantial connection in the movie is with Salah, his boss Shimi’s father; Salah’s character is an homage to a character in an old Israeli film, Salah Shabati(1963), who’s a Moroccan Jew. Salah is an Arabic name. In my movie, the actor who plays the part, Arie Elias, emigrated from Iraq in 1950. He knew how to do Shakespeare in Arabic. Once in Israel, Elias’s status as an actor was denied because, at the time, Arabic was not accepted as a cultural language. So Arie had a challenging time immigrating to Israel. And the character he’s playing also has this history for Israelis. So the old immigrant from 50 years ago is now teaching the new immigrant— James represents the development of the Israeli dream, how we came with very idealistic and pure dreams, about how we were going to develop ourselves as a country. And somehow, on the way to making these dreams come true, he loses his way. James is no longer dreaming of Jerusalem but of a new television. But he’s still talking about Jerusalem. So he symbolizes for me our confusion with ourselves at the moment.”

 

Who She Was and Who She Is Now

We, Pilgrims, recognize the conflict. We, Pilgrims, internalize the dichotomy. We Pilgrims try to fit in. We, Pilgrims, are desperate to fit in. Yes. We understand that change is necessary. That absorption into a foreign culture is predicated upon internal and external strength. 

 

We Pilgrims recognize that we must never forget the genesis of our pilgrimage and have the power and conviction to continue.

 

I am James and James is me.

We Journey to Jerusalem

 

Title: James’ Journey to Jerusalem

Year: 2003

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Director: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz

Writers: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz and Sami Duenias

Stars: Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe, Salim Daw, Arieh Elias

Original Score: Ehud Banai; Gil Smetana; Noam Halevi

Cinematography: Shark De Mayo

Editors: Ron Goldman

 

Filed Under: Blog, FIlm Reviews, Jerusalem Tagged With: jerusalem, movie, pilgrim

Ghost: A Film Analysis

January 20, 2022 by Yocheved Feinerman Leave a Comment

Ghost: Film Analysis

Let’s breakdown the movie Ghost with Save the Cat

What!

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Let’s breakdown the movie Ghost using Blake Snyder’s story structure.

Movie: Ghost

Director: Jerry Zucker

Screenwriter: Bruce Joel Rubin

Year: 1990

Genre: Superhero

The key here is a nemesis and problem that is seemingly bigger than they are. 

 

Logline: A murdered man’s ghost must find a way to warn the woman he loves that she is in danger… before she becomes a murder victim as well. 

 


  1. Opening Image (1):

Gray, dusty, abandoned room, wires hanging from the ceiling

clouds of moving dust. Muted light pierce the dense atmosphere. An eeriness envelops us. Strange ghostly forms appear and disappear in the distance. Broken timbers and dangling cables emerge from the smoky light. We see hints of a vast demolished space. An old white plaster wall.

 


  1. Theme Stated (5):

Love never dies.

Molly comments about “the space” Sam asks, “what will we do with the space?” (when we leave space in our heart – we love – love never dies)

 


  1. Set-Up (1-10):

Sam Wheat and Molly Jenson are a couple in love. Well – in love- without Sam saying the words “I love you,” preferring to respond to Molly’s statement with a “ditto.” Together, and with the help of Sam’s business partner, Carl, they are renovating a loft. Unfortunately, Sam is preoccupied with a financial conundrum. Which affects him both at work and at home. Soon after delving into the finances, Sam is murdered and becomes a ghost. This effectively destroys his initial Normal World.

 


  1. Catalyst (12):

Sam is murdered by Willie Lopez. Sam dies in Molly’s arms. 

 


  1. Debate (12-25):

Should Sam head towards the light – heaven, or should he stay as a ghost with Molly?

 


  1. Break into Two (25): 

Sam is worried that Willie Lopez is going to murder Molly.

 


  1. B Story (30):

Sam finds himself in a new world – the world of a ghost.

 


  1. Fun and Games (30-55):

Sam must learn the rules and how to adapt to the new world. He is mentored by an Emergency Room Ghost, who introduces him to the new world’s in’s and out’s. Sam meets the psychic Oda Mae and realizes she can hear him. Launching a series of reactions from Sam and Oda Mae as they try to negotiate their new relationship —and Sam’s need to protect Molly. 

 

From a loud-mouthed New York City subway poltergeist (Vincent Schiavelli), Sam learns the skills needed to move objects using only his mental powers. Sam convinces Oda Mae to end Carl’s money laundering scheme by impersonating Carl’s fake bank account owner. She withdraws the balance and closes the account with an invisible Sam behind her, donating the money to a homeless shelter.

 


  1. Midpoint (55):

Molly goes to the police and asks about Ode Mae. She is told over and over. Oda Mae is a con (wo)man trying to cheat Molly. There is no such thing as a psychic. That Molly is not communicating with Sam. Afterward, Sam and Oda Mae return to Molly’s apartment to warn about Carl. Molly refuses to open the door – and is lost in her grief.  

LOVE DIES

 


  1. Bad Guys Close In (55-75):

When Oda Mae learns the name of Sam’s killer., she is afraid and refuses to help Sam.  

 


  1. All Is Lost (75):

Sam discovers the man behind his murder –  his best friend, Carl. 

 


  1. Dark Night of the Soul (75-85):

Carl threatens to kill Molly if Carl and Oda Mae don’t return the money. 

 


  1. Break into Three (85):

Sam enters the apartment. He instructs Oda Mae to push a penny under the front door. In front of Molly, Sam lifts the penny into the air. 

 

A shocked Molly realizes the truth and lets Ode Mae inside. 

After Ode Mae calls the police, she allows Sam to possess her body, permitting him and Molly to share a dance. For the last time.


  1. Finale (85-110)

Gather the Team 

Carl arrives intending to murder Molly and Oda Mae. They run away. Sam is left weak by the possession, and Molly and Oda Mae are left alone against Carl. 

Executing the Plan

After evading Carl for a brief time, Carl seizes Oda Mae. At gunpoint. He threatens her, demanding the money. Molly comes to Oda Mae’s rescue. She is pushed aside. As a recovered Sam arrives to help. CArl throws a scaffolding hook in Sam’s direction, which swings back and shatters the window, which Carl was attempting to escape. Impaling him through the chest. 

Carl morphs into a ghost, astonishing and paining Sam. Sam watches in silence as the shadowy demons arrive and drag a screaming Carl away into the darkness.

High Tower Surprise

As Sam returns, Molly suddenly realizes that she can hear him. 

Dig Deep Down

A heavenly light fills the room, making Sam fully visible to Molly and Oda Mae. Sam turns and sees hundreds of people standing behind him, waiting for him. Finally, Sam realizes his task is complete. It is time to move on.

Execute the New Plan

Sam thanks Oda Mae for her help, then Sam professes both his everlasting love and his goodbyes to Molly.


  1. Final Image (110):

Sam departs to the afterlife – neon/rainbow-colored light.

LOVE NEVER DIES.

Filed Under: Blog, FIlm Reviews, Film School

Meet the Parents: A Film Review

January 17, 2022 by Yocheved Feinerman Leave a Comment

The "Jew" in Film

Movies: Meet the Parents (2004) Greg Says Grace and Meet the Fockers (2006) Foreskin Fondue

What Makes a Film Feel Jewish?

Although some Jewish films reference explicit Jewish themes, a Jewish movie will often have little to do with religion. Instead, Jewishness in films is defined by a social atmosphere, thematically represented as being 

outside. Or Jewishness in film can be recognized by a certain cadence in the dialogue. Audiences respond to these elements recognizing the film as something that feels Jewish. 

 

The “neurotic nebbish” term had been applied to the Zionist-era Muscle Jew and to the more romantically appealing, conspicuously Jewish actors such as Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, and Woody Allen. 

 

The “Other” in Film

What Created the Jewish Persona?

For decades Jews were barred from many aspects of American life, most notoriously from many Waspy country clubs. Resulting in humor attesting to their role as outsiders looking in. 

 

Characters in movies and television maintained strong religious beliefs, language, and vibrant theater life. Like many other immigrant groups, American Jews maintained a distance from mainstream American life. Perhaps, a result of mainstream American life keeping their distance from them. Marx, Lenny Bruce, Rodney Dangerfield, and Allen developed their comedic careers. “I can’t get no respect!” Dangerfield’s famous line illustrates how many Jewish comedians felt about their place in society.

 

The “Neurotic Nebbish” in Film

How were Jewish fathers portrayed?

 

Jewish fathers on the big screen, Eugene Levy, in American Pie or Chaim Topol’s Tevye are often portrayed as neurotic and controlling, often with a desire to be more. Whereas portrayals of Jewish mothers usually focus on pushiness and bossiness.

 

Jack, the WASP, is a jerk. Greg, the Jew, is a schlemiel. The schlemiel wins. Greg can be considered a postmodern schlemiel. Although he attributes the stereotypical nerdy fumbler, “American society now identifies with him.” Non-Jews and Jews feel unsettled and do not identify with all-powerful characters, like Rambo; instead, they are drawn to anxious and insecure people like Greg, whose warmth, decency, and caring attract Pam.

 

The “Super Jew” in Film

How did Woody Allen evolve into Ben Stiller?

 

Similar to other immigrant communities, Jewish Americans assimilated into the cultural norm. By leaving their tenant neighborhoods and moving to the suburbs, Jewish families, absorbed into the culture, losing their Yiddish accents, loosening the strictures of faith, and frequently inter-marrying.

 

The landscape of New York has undergone significant changes since Woody Allen began filming on the streets. But, more importantly, so has the role of Jewish life in American popular culture. For over forty years, Woody Allen’s cinematic alter egos. Filmed with angst and fear, archetypes detailing the fears and hopes of a self-doubting Jew in Manhattan. 

 

These archetypes seem less relevant to modern audiences. In contrast to Allen’s characters, Young Jews place in American life seems secure and prosperous. Today’s Jews are becoming more and more potent in American popular culture, specifically in comedic films. Today’s success has less to do with their “outsider” status and is more connected to their talent. 

 

The Jewish publisher at Heeb, Josh Neuman, says that Woody Allen’s comedic style is cringe-worthy. “Allen has been a huge influence for what he has done, but he is addressing the concerns of another era.” 

 

Modern audiences relate to the next generation of filmmakers and actors, like Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller.

 

Ben Stiller is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. The son of Jerry Stiller, a comedian, an actor from a Jewish family that emigrated from Poland and Galicia in Eastern Europe. His mother, actress/comedian Anne Meara (1929-2015), converted to Reform Judaism from an Irish Catholic background. The Stiller’s not a particularly religious family, celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas, and Stiller celebrated his Bar Mitzvah.

 

Ben Stiller became known for playing the hapless romantic leading man, as he did in There’s Something About Mary and Keeping the Faith. In Meet the Parents and the sequel, Meet the Fockers, Stiller plays a neurotic, Jewish male nurse named Greg Focker.

 

In casting Ben Stiller as Greg, Director Jay Roach was impressed with Stiller’s creative and improvisational abilities and neurotic persona. “I saw Meet the Parents as an anxiety dream, and in my view, nobody plays that kind of material better than Ben.” 

 

The “Meeting of the Other’ in Film

“Meet The Parents” stands out as a classic send-up of embarrassing Jewish parents, right down to the awkward name. Played by Jewish actors Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, the Fockers in question tell embarrassing stories, keep embarrassing pictures, and even preserve their son’s foreskin.

How do audiences relate to Greg Focker? 

The movie juxtaposes Greg Focker as a middle-class Jewish nurse against the Byrnes family of upper-class White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Concerning Greg as a Jew and a nurse, a distinct cultural gap is created and subsequently widened compared to the Byrnes and Banks families. The cultural differences are often highlighted, and Greg is repeatedly made aware of them. This serves to achieve the comedic effect through character development and has also been commented upon as indicative of thematic portrayal of Jewish characters’ roles in the modern film and being a prime example of how male nurses are portrayed in media. 

 

Greg says Grace: A Focus on the Scene

Movie: Meet the Parents

Director: Jay Roach

Year: 2000

Synopsis: Before proposing, Greg Focker meets his girlfriend’s parents, but her suspicious father is every date’s worst nightmare.

Scene: Greg is Jewish 

Greg Says, Grace

 

Pressured into reciting “Grace” by the Christian host, an apprehensive and unskilled Jewish Greg, concedes to reciting a prayer blessing the food at the dinner table. Unsure of what he is supposed to do, Greg improvises and recites a part of Godspell. This scene highlights Greg’s broad social and cultural gap and the WASP Christian family.

 

Mealtimes often portray Jewish characters as part of the broader movement she believes started in the 1960s when filmmakers began producing work exploring the “Jewish self-definition.” 

 

The dinner table morphs into a place where Jewish characters conflict with their ethnic and sexual personas. This is evident in the scene where Greg sits down for dinner with the Byrnes family and is asked to recite grace over the food. Instead, Greg attempts to recite a prayer and improvises, launching into a “Day by Day” recital from Act I of Godspell. Highlighting the cultural distance between the Jewish Greg and the Christian Byrnes. The social gap is further widened the following day when Greg is the last person to show up at breakfast. Worse, he arrives at the table wearing pajamas while everyone is fully clothed. Furthermore, Greg eats a bagel, a clear sign of his Jewishness.

 

How do audiences relate to Streisand and Hoffman? 

Greg’s parents, Bernie and Roz, are modern traditional stereotypes. Roz, a sex therapist, recalls Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Instead of being overbearing, overachieving, and materialistic, Roz is a caring mother, interested in her son’s relationships, including details of his sex life.

 

Bernie, the image of a highly involved Jewish father, gave up his legal career to become a stay-at-home, is most proud of how Greg pursues his own goals, not someone else’s. The Fockers sprinkle Yiddish into their conversation, show off their scrapbook displaying Greg’s foreskin, and embarrass their son by talking too much about sex, but they are open and humane. Their frailties are not humiliating but humanizing, making them representatives of the new multiculturalism. 

 

Pam’s parents are initially shocked by Roz, but they too triumph by demonstrating their humanity like Greg. When Jack can turn to Roz for assistance at the end of “Meet the Fockers,” he has been “fockerized.” The Fockers films capture how “Jews have become more American, and America has become more Jewish.”

 

Focus on a Scene

Movie: Meet The Fockers

Director: Jay Roach

Year: 2006

Synopsis: 

The Byrnes family meets the Focker family. 

Scene: Foreskin Fondue

 

Meet the Fockers ends with the main character noting that the uptight paranoid and decidedly “unJewish” Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) has been “Fockerized.” In other words, the Focker family has made Jack cool. The Fockers, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand are the good guys in this movie, the hip characters, the anti-shylocks, the Jews happy to be Jews, as opposed to Woody Allen’s character Zelig (Zelig, 1983). Unlike past families reticent over their overt Jewish identity, the Fockers avoid referencing traditional religious practices, namely circumcision. Instead, the Fockers have preserved Gaylord’s foreskin in a scrapbook. 

 

The Stereotype of Jewishy Jews in Film

How do movies break the stereotype?

Roz and Bernie are none of these stereotypes. For starters, Greg’s dad Bernie is a former lawyer who actually retired to be a stay-at-home dad, and Roz is a sex therapist. This gorgeous couple rejects the gender roles prevalent in traditionally depicted Jewish marriages on the big screen. In addition, they aren’t uptight, neurotic, or conservative. Instead, here they are seen as liberal, with hippie sensibilities. 

 

Roz and Bernie are Jewish and proud. Flaunting natural curls, Roz is exceptionally loving to Bernie, embarrassing Greg, showing audiences that they are having more fun than the repressed Byrnes. The trampling over and ignoring boundaries is incredibly Jewish but filled with warmth and joy.

 

Instead of being angry that their son is intermarrying, Bernie and Roz embrace Greg’s bride. Thrilled that Greg and Pam have found each other — a powerful sentiment from an older Jewish couple. They are liberal in both their politics and Jewishness. Jewish parents on-screen are often portrayed as disliking and being disappointed in their children. The Fockers are proud of their child, even displaying Greg’s 9th place trophies. 

 

How do the movies reinforce the stereotypes?

The changing role of Jews in American culture is portrayed in both movies. Jews, previously characterized as outsiders of mainstream culture. Continuing the anti-semitic tradition, questioning Jewish maleness, frequent jokes poke fun, implying masculinity. Is different from the norm. They are neurotic, weak, and effeminate—a continuation of the anti-Semitic tradition that questioned Jewish maleness, with their portrayal as caricatures.

 

Greg does not face outright Anti-Semisitism, but it is clear that Greg himself “feels out of place” in a WASP world.

 

The emasculation of the Jewish Male in Film

In both films, Greg’s manhood is attacked by Jack. 

 

Greg’s profession as a nurse is a running gag throughout the movie. Brought up by Jack in a negative context. And the character of Greg Focker has come to be one of the best-known film portrayals of a male nurse. Though males dominated the profession in earlier times, there has been a feminization of the nursing profession for the last century, which has caused men in nursing to often be portrayed as misfits by the media. Jack often criticizes Greg’s career choice per his perception of nursing being an effeminate profession. 

 

The Fockerization in Film

How have the Focker movies influenced American society?

“Meet the Parents” and “Meet the Fockers” exemplify the fact that today’s Jewish Jew is no longer avoided and less often portrayed as a stereotype. Both movies depict an evolution in film from the de-ethnicized Jew to characters flaunting Jewishness in a Christian-centric society. 

 

The Post-Modern Schlemiels in Film

How different are the personas of Woody Allen and Ben Stiller?

It is clear from researching this article, in connection with our class lessons, that the Jewish presence is still a phenomenon in films. Despite the modernization of society, the assimilation, the archetypal Jewish male can be watched at the movies, on television sets, on streamers, on phones, on the internet. Woody Allen and Ben Stiller have much in common as schlemiels.

 

Articles Referenced

Woody’s back in New York. But this is a very different Manhattan

Boy-man Schlemiels and Super-Nebbishes: Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller

Schlemiel in Theory

iMBD

The Evolution of Jews In American Film

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, FIlm Reviews, Film School

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