Currently Browsing: Books
Told from two perspectives, Someone to Run With directed by Oded Davidoff and based on the novel by David Grossman, follows two teenagers on parallel journeys of salvation and self-discovery. (EML: 3.5/5) Review by FF2 Associate Eliana M. Levenson “Tamar” (Bal Belfer) never goes anywhere without her dog, “Dinka.” Living on the streets, Tamar busks to […]
A Tale of Love and Darkness is Natalie Portman’s adaptation of the memoir Amos Oz published in 2004. I consider this film a masterpiece… but you probably won’t hear many other film critics say that. This is no doubt the consequence of two major decisions Portman made as a first-time filmmaker. First, she decided to focus […]
First JLH Day at the 2016 New York Jewish Film Festival Stunning adaptation by David Bezmozgis of his 2001 short story Natasha. Bezmozgis is clearly obsessed with the story of Natasha–for good reason–and he made the excellent decision to both write and direct the adaptation himself. Natasha is the story of a teenager named “Mark […]
Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front is fascinating look at five young men undergoing rigorous paratrooper training in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force). Barely 18 years old and just out of high school, they are at a transformative moment in their lives. Who they meet along the way and how they […]
Best Feature Film of 2014: Selma Runner Up: Birdman Best Director of 2014: Ava DuVernay (Selma) Runner Up: Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman) Best Documentary of 2014: Gringo Trails Runner Up: Life Itself Best Actress of 2014: Amy Adams (Big Eyes) Runner up: Angelina Jolie (Maleficent) Best Actor: Michael Keaton (Birdman) Runner Up: David Oyelowo (Selma) Best Supporting Actress: […]
JLH UPDATE: Immediately after this post went live on JUF Online, Chicago friends contacted me to say that while Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem was not on the 2014 CFIC schedule (Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema), it was part of the 2014 CIFF schedule (Chicago International Film Festival). So I contacted Music Box Films & […]
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehechehyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higianu laz’man hazeh. Our praise to You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of all: for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this season. Richard & I have an incredible amount to be grateful for as we enter the Jewish Year 5775. Two years ago, […]
September 22, 2014: And the sun rose like it was any other “normal” day, oblivious to the fact that I have been working towards this particular day for a decade. So here it is, September 22, 2014, the 50th Anniversary of the day Fiddler on the Roof made it’s Broadway debut, and I now have an […]
Today is not the 50th birthday of Kitty Genovese. She was born on July 7, 1935, so had she reached her 50th birthday, it would have been celebrated long ago. And today is not the 50th anniversary of the day Kitty Genovese was murdered. She died on March 13, 1964, so the 50th anniversary of her death […]