CFIC 2010 Update
This year’s CFIC Committee (Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema) chose crowd-pleaser A Matter of Size for Opening Night, but despite the many awards received from film festivals all around the USA, I’m afraid I thought Size came straight from sit-com land.
Size is the story of a hefty Mizrachi guy named “Herzl” (Itzik Cohen) who convinces 3 buddies in his weight loss group to join him in training as Israel’s first Sumo wrestling team. Along the way, Herzl acquires a plushly-padded girlfrend named “Zehava” (Irit Kaplan), who is also in his weight loss group, but Zehava is snubbed by Herzl’s mother “Mona” (Levanna Finkelstein) because she’s, d’uh, fat. Meanwhile Mona keeps urging Herzl to lose weight… all the while shoving big platters of couscous his way. Oy!
The team’s trainer is a mysterious Japanese restauranteur named “Kitano” (Togo Igawa). His restaurant staffers (all Japanese) allude to the Yakuza, but when Herzl (no joke!) asks, Kitano merely replies that he is in Israel because he is a Zionist (no joke!). Who knew there were so many Japanese men living in Israel?
I can see Israel as a destination for guest workers from China (Noodle), the Philipines (Paper Dolls), & other beleagured Asian homelands, but Japan???
No matter: Kitano is a stick figure, so who cares if he’s got even less backstory than Yoda. Best not to analyze since the Sumo plotline can’t function without him… Feh 🙁
Photo courtesy of CFIC.
Addition CFIC Screenings:
Thurs Oct 21 @ 6:00 PM (Northbrook)
Sun Oct 31 @ 8:30 PM (Northbrook)
