El despertar de Motti Wolkenbruch

Ten or so years ago, My Big Fat Greek Wedding was all the rage. Think of this as the Jewish version. It's funny, sweet and touching. Be it Greek, Jewish, Italian - or any ethnic group that has strict controls and ideas about their families and children, this movie touches us all. As for me - My Big Fat Greek Wedding was spot on.

I think Netflix recommended this to me after having loved Shtisel so much. This is the type of movie I really enjoy. I normally hate it when they're breaking the 4th wall, but even though the main character is talking to us directly throughout, it didn't bother me one bit.

I'm not Jewish, and I'm sure there are lots of cliches in this film (pushy mother, Jews only buying from each other etc.), and perhaps they explained a little too much about life for relatively Orthodox Jews to the viewers, but it was still done nicely and enjoyable in my opinion. Humour as well, though not in a slapstick kind of way.

This politically incorrect film has chutzpah. It's a coming-of-age story that features over-the-top Orthodox Jewish stereotypes with plenty for people to be offended about. The film is both funny and touching, the pace was quick, the humor kept coming, the music was upbeat and ironic, and the acting, overdone to perfection.

Mordechai Wolkenbruch, Motti, (played radiantly and nebbishly by Joel Basman), is trying to find his way in life, but his overbearing mother, (Inge Maux), has one thing on her mind: to marry Motti off to a nice Orthodox Jewish woman. She set him up on ten arranged dates through the Shidduch process, which proves to be disappointing and infuriating to Motti.

In a college class, Motti meets a beautiful, lively shiksa, (a non-Jew), called Laura who boldly pursues Motti, which puts him in stark conflict with the wishes of his mother. In order to set him on the right path, the family rabbi recommends a trip to Israel so that Mordachei might meet a woman to fall in love with there, but that trip does not have the intended outcome. While in Israel, Motti stays with some people who are part of a new age Om Shalom cult -- these scenes are some of the best in the film.

The characters are comedically exaggerated. Sunnyi Melles plays wealthy, terminally ill business client, Mrs. Silberzweig, who reads Motti's Tarot cards in an amusing tragic-comedic way. It is a wonderful cast.

When the Yiddish version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah played, I thought I would plotz.

I saw this on Netflix. I recommend watching it with subtitles rather than overdubbing if you're not a German speaker.

I adored this movie! It reminded me of a Woody Allen production, combining humour (Yiddish) and pathos in a funny yet heartfelt manner. I was thoroughly entertained! Joel Basman's performance as "Motti" is A+...definitely Oscar worthy.

A very realistic movie, gives us many of real situations in funny way. It is not related only with Jewish people. It fits well with any person belongs to a minority group in any place of the world. Especially if that minority group has strict rules to protect their values.