I went to see this movie having being told it was a comedy, and it is - until it takes an inevitable and disturbing turn. It's tragi-comedy in the purest, old-Greek sense, where the humour and the dread fuel each other. The star of the film is Lior Ashkenazi, a handsome, charismatic actor who plays Zaza as a complex character - in turn sexy and easy to root for, then weak and pitiable. The sex scene the film is famed for isn't particularly sexy, it is, instead horribly intimate - it's like a scene from your own bed, and the familiarity of it is shocking in a great way. Plus, the lack of fuss concerning nudity is marvellous - perhaps we do live in a civilized, modern world after all? The ending of the film is also disturbing, and in the end the movie isn't easy to take. I wouldn't want it any other way, but it makes repeat viewings difficult.
45 Reviews
Very Frank Exploration of Traditional Vs. Modern Pulls on an Israeli Immigrant
noralee20 December 2005
"Late Marriage (Hatuna Meuheret)" makes "Monsoon Wedding" seem like a commercial Hollywood flick in comparison in dealing with a similar theme -- families imposing traditional marriage on an adult son in today's world.
This film is an intense and heartbreaking examination of a Georgian Russian immigrant family pushing tradition on an older son in very modern Israel. Through a very gradual unveiling as we learn more and more about each member of the family and relationships, every character is strongly individually wrought, flaws and all, complex sympathies and all.
The blunt scenes demonstrating traditional relationships are paralleled with extremely frank contemporary ones.
I thought at first that the lack of a soundtrack virtually up until the closing scene was due to writer/director Dover Koshashvili's obvious minuscule budget. Instead the closing band music punctuates a bittersweet, ironic tension-builder as the audience waits anxiously to see how the central figure of Zaza/Dooby resolved his unresolvable philosophical, familial and romantic dilemmas amidst very competitive, strong-willed women.
The sub-titles are sub-par; it's awkward, for example, to translate "Shalom" as peace be with you as it's really more just colloquial hello.
(originally written 5/24/2002)
This film is an intense and heartbreaking examination of a Georgian Russian immigrant family pushing tradition on an older son in very modern Israel. Through a very gradual unveiling as we learn more and more about each member of the family and relationships, every character is strongly individually wrought, flaws and all, complex sympathies and all.
The blunt scenes demonstrating traditional relationships are paralleled with extremely frank contemporary ones.
I thought at first that the lack of a soundtrack virtually up until the closing scene was due to writer/director Dover Koshashvili's obvious minuscule budget. Instead the closing band music punctuates a bittersweet, ironic tension-builder as the audience waits anxiously to see how the central figure of Zaza/Dooby resolved his unresolvable philosophical, familial and romantic dilemmas amidst very competitive, strong-willed women.
The sub-titles are sub-par; it's awkward, for example, to translate "Shalom" as peace be with you as it's really more just colloquial hello.
(originally written 5/24/2002)
marvelous movie, not matriarchal
hillba16 July 2002
While I absolutely loved the movie and found it to be both funny and bittersweet, I write here to differ with other displayed comments. The part of the conservative Georgian community shown in this Israeli movie is most certainly NOT matriarchal. The problems that the male protagonist experiences are NOT due to women controlling the society. The reason his family doesn't want to allow him to be with the woman he loves is because it is a *patriarchal* society, where an older, divorced woman with a child -- no matter how loving, intelligent and beautiful -- is viewed through a sexist lens as damaged goods.
Anyone who watches the early scenes where a 17-year-old girl is trotted out as goods for matchmaking purposes and the two male heads of the family control the proceedings, should realize that this is a patriarchal society. Don't be misled by the fact that the professional matchmaker is a woman and that the hero's mother is a firm believer in sexist customs; if some women didn't hold sexist beliefs, sexism wouldn't exist. Note that the 17 year-old's mother is a widow, but her uncle controls the matchmaking decisions instead of her mother. The male protagonist is harmed by *patriarchal* customs, make no mistake. These customs harm both women and men.
Anyone who watches the early scenes where a 17-year-old girl is trotted out as goods for matchmaking purposes and the two male heads of the family control the proceedings, should realize that this is a patriarchal society. Don't be misled by the fact that the professional matchmaker is a woman and that the hero's mother is a firm believer in sexist customs; if some women didn't hold sexist beliefs, sexism wouldn't exist. Note that the 17 year-old's mother is a widow, but her uncle controls the matchmaking decisions instead of her mother. The male protagonist is harmed by *patriarchal* customs, make no mistake. These customs harm both women and men.
Powerful Culture-Conflict film; Memorable, if flawed.
PROV200128 July 2002
Warning: Spoilers
I finally caught up with this film, as it jumped from art house to art house, looking for an audience. It was worth the wait and the effort.
The opening scene is worth the price of admission!
The contradictions of the Georgian culture are well exposed and developed from the get-go. Such a clan of boorish men, verbally abusive towards their women (which seems to be taken for granted by all), uniting with their women, to go through the charade of finding a virgin for their son who doesn't want one! That's not to say that these men hold the values of virginity or fidelity in high esteem, beyond the ritual of the fishing expedition, with the resultant wedding and....of course....the future grand-SON. No mention of grand-daughters here.
If the complexity of the Georgian way of life was well developed, the reality of cultural and social life in Tel Aviv was not...the entire burden of representing Tel Avivian culture was put on the shoulders of Zaza and Judith to carry...and that burden was too heavy, given that their characters weren't more deeply developed.
It was "Zaza and Judith's Behavior" versus "Centuries of Georgian Ways". An exposition of Tel Aviv's bursting energy and the complexity of its social mores would have served the film well. That would have given much more depth to the film's focus on Zaza and Judith.
I liked the simplicity of the cinematography; it was realistic and it worked well; though I regret the director's choice to tightly focus on minimal sets and settings. Where was Tel Aviv? The film could have been made in Mexico or in the south of France. It needed more context... geographic and cultural.
Once again, the burden of "being" Tel Aviv was carried by Zaza, who didn't come close to convincing me that he was pursuing a doctorate in philosophy. Surely, the move from Georgia to Tel Aviv had more impact on who Zaza was than his sexual values. It would have added a lot to the film to give Zaza more complexity.
Apart from these relatively minor criticisms, I was engrossed by the film and left the theater feeling its impact. It's a film I'd strongly recommend to a friend.
SPOILER AHEAD: ======================================================> To conclude, I'd like to comment on "the love scene" and on the ending of the film.
I liked the playfulness of the scene. These folks were INVOLVED with one another! The single element of the love scene that went beyond all that has come before it, to the best of my knowledge, is that bodily fluids were portrayed and their presence was addressed by the lovers. This takes the portrayal of love-making a step beyond what has come before it. The scene was a bit flawed by the false note that rang in the apparant spontaneity of their love-making. We still haven't gotten beyond the "strategically arranged bedsheet" stage of depicting sex in films.
The ending was a powerhouse for me; it had a great impact. I didn't know what it was till I was walking out of the theater. I felt the sting of Judith's words: "You love them more than you love me." In the wedding scene, the truth of her words was borne out...and this drama became tragedy when Zaza's behavior at the wedding banquet fore-shadowed a future in which he would become like the other men in his family. Very powerful!
And so, I think the opening and closing scenes were worth the price of admission, and there was a lot to be involved with in between.
Hats Off! to the director.
The opening scene is worth the price of admission!
The contradictions of the Georgian culture are well exposed and developed from the get-go. Such a clan of boorish men, verbally abusive towards their women (which seems to be taken for granted by all), uniting with their women, to go through the charade of finding a virgin for their son who doesn't want one! That's not to say that these men hold the values of virginity or fidelity in high esteem, beyond the ritual of the fishing expedition, with the resultant wedding and....of course....the future grand-SON. No mention of grand-daughters here.
If the complexity of the Georgian way of life was well developed, the reality of cultural and social life in Tel Aviv was not...the entire burden of representing Tel Avivian culture was put on the shoulders of Zaza and Judith to carry...and that burden was too heavy, given that their characters weren't more deeply developed.
It was "Zaza and Judith's Behavior" versus "Centuries of Georgian Ways". An exposition of Tel Aviv's bursting energy and the complexity of its social mores would have served the film well. That would have given much more depth to the film's focus on Zaza and Judith.
I liked the simplicity of the cinematography; it was realistic and it worked well; though I regret the director's choice to tightly focus on minimal sets and settings. Where was Tel Aviv? The film could have been made in Mexico or in the south of France. It needed more context... geographic and cultural.
Once again, the burden of "being" Tel Aviv was carried by Zaza, who didn't come close to convincing me that he was pursuing a doctorate in philosophy. Surely, the move from Georgia to Tel Aviv had more impact on who Zaza was than his sexual values. It would have added a lot to the film to give Zaza more complexity.
Apart from these relatively minor criticisms, I was engrossed by the film and left the theater feeling its impact. It's a film I'd strongly recommend to a friend.
SPOILER AHEAD: ======================================================> To conclude, I'd like to comment on "the love scene" and on the ending of the film.
I liked the playfulness of the scene. These folks were INVOLVED with one another! The single element of the love scene that went beyond all that has come before it, to the best of my knowledge, is that bodily fluids were portrayed and their presence was addressed by the lovers. This takes the portrayal of love-making a step beyond what has come before it. The scene was a bit flawed by the false note that rang in the apparant spontaneity of their love-making. We still haven't gotten beyond the "strategically arranged bedsheet" stage of depicting sex in films.
The ending was a powerhouse for me; it had a great impact. I didn't know what it was till I was walking out of the theater. I felt the sting of Judith's words: "You love them more than you love me." In the wedding scene, the truth of her words was borne out...and this drama became tragedy when Zaza's behavior at the wedding banquet fore-shadowed a future in which he would become like the other men in his family. Very powerful!
And so, I think the opening and closing scenes were worth the price of admission, and there was a lot to be involved with in between.
Hats Off! to the director.
Family relations as tribal politics.
ikanboy6 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The movie is, on the surface about a strong willed family's attempt to steer their errant man child (as in doesn't follow the family rules on finding a marital partner who meets the requirements: younger; unmarried; unsullied; and malleable) out of independence towards conformity.
We see him dragged off to sit and watch his, and a prospective bride's, family discuss them as pieces of merchandise. The callousness is presented as comedy, but is clearly intended for us to see how familial, tribal, values supersede those of the individual. The couple is encouraged to go off to the prospective bride's bedroom, where it is clearly intended for them to try out the merchandise. The older (31) male is clearly uncomfortable with the predatory nature of the girl (17), and ends up dealing with the "choice" offered with muteness. Soon we see that this is his preferred tactic within his familial zoo.
As it turns out he already has a lover, an older(35)divorced woman with a child. To his family she is absolutely out of the question as a future member of the family, and soon they gather outside her apartment to plot how they will dissuade her.
The responsibility of the situation is clearly foisted upon her, as the evil sorceress who has bewitched their boy (ironically she has attempted to put an amateurish spell on him by burning her underwear stained with his semen) and they troop up to the apartment to surprise the lovers.
What follows is an insult fest aimed at the divorcée - in full view of her young daughter, who is treated kindly by the older women while they skewer her mother with contempt and the men threaten her with physical harm - who takes it quietly and almost expectantly of the required tribal ritual of casting her out of the picture as competition.
This scene again seems to be presented as comedic, but comes across as a horror show to the uninitiated. Clearly no-one in the room seems able or willing to question the cruelty of the procedure. Our "hero" is mute, and the woman has no defense, telling us reams about how powerfully attached he is to the tribe, no matter how he might wish to be independent of it. And this is the crux of the movie. Blood is thicker than water but tribal blood is molasses.
The final scene, of guess who's marriage celebration, shows him taking on the tribal mores of brutish cruelty, and destructive passive aggressiveness of the emasculated male. But it is clear that he offered up his testicles for sacrifice rather than had them removed. He is no pioneer, merely a dreamer; a man of inaction and his loss is his passion for risk taking; the core of vitality.
We see him dragged off to sit and watch his, and a prospective bride's, family discuss them as pieces of merchandise. The callousness is presented as comedy, but is clearly intended for us to see how familial, tribal, values supersede those of the individual. The couple is encouraged to go off to the prospective bride's bedroom, where it is clearly intended for them to try out the merchandise. The older (31) male is clearly uncomfortable with the predatory nature of the girl (17), and ends up dealing with the "choice" offered with muteness. Soon we see that this is his preferred tactic within his familial zoo.
As it turns out he already has a lover, an older(35)divorced woman with a child. To his family she is absolutely out of the question as a future member of the family, and soon they gather outside her apartment to plot how they will dissuade her.
The responsibility of the situation is clearly foisted upon her, as the evil sorceress who has bewitched their boy (ironically she has attempted to put an amateurish spell on him by burning her underwear stained with his semen) and they troop up to the apartment to surprise the lovers.
What follows is an insult fest aimed at the divorcée - in full view of her young daughter, who is treated kindly by the older women while they skewer her mother with contempt and the men threaten her with physical harm - who takes it quietly and almost expectantly of the required tribal ritual of casting her out of the picture as competition.
This scene again seems to be presented as comedic, but comes across as a horror show to the uninitiated. Clearly no-one in the room seems able or willing to question the cruelty of the procedure. Our "hero" is mute, and the woman has no defense, telling us reams about how powerfully attached he is to the tribe, no matter how he might wish to be independent of it. And this is the crux of the movie. Blood is thicker than water but tribal blood is molasses.
The final scene, of guess who's marriage celebration, shows him taking on the tribal mores of brutish cruelty, and destructive passive aggressiveness of the emasculated male. But it is clear that he offered up his testicles for sacrifice rather than had them removed. He is no pioneer, merely a dreamer; a man of inaction and his loss is his passion for risk taking; the core of vitality.
Yente, find me a young wife!
jotix10011 July 2002
Late Marriage is one of the best Israeli films in many years. It is to the credit of director Dover Kashashivili to translate it to the screen into one of the frankest depiction of a love affair seen in recent memory. The director avoids the clichés of other films that pretend to show a sexual relationship between two lovers in a a film. He doesn't leave anything to our imagination as the characters of this story clearly show us.
The two main actors, Lior Ashkenazi, Zaza, and Ronit Elkabetz, the Judith of the story, are mature individuals who obviously feel a passionate love for one another. They're powerless against the wishes of Zaza's family who are hell bent into separating them. Never mind that is very obvious how both feel about each other. She's an older divorcée who obviously will be the ruin of the scholarly Zaza.
Both Mr. Ashkenazy and Ms. Elkabetz could give acting lessons to our repressed so-called movie stars. Their passion is on the surface for us to see and feel. What we really enjoyed was the way these two actors act against each other in what could have been very embarrassing scenes. They pulled it off with panache.
The ensemble cast is very good, but of course, they don't come close to the stars who take the film and run away with it. Let's hope we can see more of them in other Israeli films.
Mazel tov!
The two main actors, Lior Ashkenazi, Zaza, and Ronit Elkabetz, the Judith of the story, are mature individuals who obviously feel a passionate love for one another. They're powerless against the wishes of Zaza's family who are hell bent into separating them. Never mind that is very obvious how both feel about each other. She's an older divorcée who obviously will be the ruin of the scholarly Zaza.
Both Mr. Ashkenazy and Ms. Elkabetz could give acting lessons to our repressed so-called movie stars. Their passion is on the surface for us to see and feel. What we really enjoyed was the way these two actors act against each other in what could have been very embarrassing scenes. They pulled it off with panache.
The ensemble cast is very good, but of course, they don't come close to the stars who take the film and run away with it. Let's hope we can see more of them in other Israeli films.
Mazel tov!
Only an ass could divorce her.
lastliberal4 February 2009
I saw Ronit Elkabetz in The Band's Visit and wanted more. I certainly got more in this movie - much more.
Zaza's (Lior Ashkenazi) parents are trying to get him married and he makes the rounds visiting all the eligible females. However, Zaza only wants Judith (Elkabetz), a divorcée with a child. Why wouldn't he? Even his father admits she is hot - and she truly is! The whole family arrives at her apartment and act like complete jackasses in their effort to split them up. They accomplish their mission in an unexpected manner, and Zaza is forced to marry a woman he does not love to make his parents happy.
That's what happens when you are castrated. How is he going to make grandchildren? Elkabetz was magnificent. I want more!
Zaza's (Lior Ashkenazi) parents are trying to get him married and he makes the rounds visiting all the eligible females. However, Zaza only wants Judith (Elkabetz), a divorcée with a child. Why wouldn't he? Even his father admits she is hot - and she truly is! The whole family arrives at her apartment and act like complete jackasses in their effort to split them up. They accomplish their mission in an unexpected manner, and Zaza is forced to marry a woman he does not love to make his parents happy.
That's what happens when you are castrated. How is he going to make grandchildren? Elkabetz was magnificent. I want more!
This is a unique and inventive movie experience.
mrobin-118 July 2005
I thought this movie achieved two remarkable things: First, it defies conventional categorization. It is a comedy and a family drama and a steamy romance. It manages to transcend geography as well: This could have easily taken place in the US, Italy or any one of a number of countries.
Second, I thought that each scene was surprising and inventive and unexpected. I could not have predicted what was going to happen next, but each successive scene made perfect sense.
I highly recommend this movie to fearless moviegoers who value clever plotting and ingenuity.
Second, I thought that each scene was surprising and inventive and unexpected. I could not have predicted what was going to happen next, but each successive scene made perfect sense.
I highly recommend this movie to fearless moviegoers who value clever plotting and ingenuity.
My Big Fat Israeli Wedding
=G=9 March 2003
"Late Marriage" is a dramady out of Israel which tells of a contest between an assertive Georgian-Israeli family trying to arrange their son's marriage and the son, who is a world class pu**y, passively pursuing his desire for independence and a divorcee whom he loves. The film has a big downside which includes its foreignness; a sense of humor so dry it's sometimes difficult to know where the comedy ends and the drama begins; none of the usual frills of major studio films; subtitles; and a story with a less than desirable (to the point of maddening) conclusion. On the upside however, Koshashili shows an uncanny ability to make his characters so believable as to make this little foreign job more engrossing than many bigger, more costly films. For example, the sex scene in this film - probably the best I've seen - is so wonderfully natural that is supports the character's relationship far better than the steamy, sweaty, obliquely lit, heavy breathing we're used to seeing. In the final analysis, however, "Late Marriage" is only for foreign film buffs and folks with an interest in Israeli flicks. (B-)
Refreshening ethninc, a work of art
iceman414915 May 2003
Absolutely superb film, concise and to the point.
One of the things that I liked the most is how the writer/director, takes an obviously ethnic film and presents it in a way where people around the world can empathize even if they know nothing about the jewish culture or customs.
The emotional themes presented in this film are mostly universal, when it comes to marriage, in my opinion a lot of factors come into play no matter what culture you come from, and this film portrays in some ways how silly it all is.
If you don't mind the subtitles, is a great film, has great characters and a very interesting story line, although is very graphic at times (Steamy love scenes) be forewarned if you don't like to see nudity, is not your conventional hollywood soft porn b movie.
Enjoy the film with friends, it's one of those that makes you ask all the right questions.
One of the things that I liked the most is how the writer/director, takes an obviously ethnic film and presents it in a way where people around the world can empathize even if they know nothing about the jewish culture or customs.
The emotional themes presented in this film are mostly universal, when it comes to marriage, in my opinion a lot of factors come into play no matter what culture you come from, and this film portrays in some ways how silly it all is.
If you don't mind the subtitles, is a great film, has great characters and a very interesting story line, although is very graphic at times (Steamy love scenes) be forewarned if you don't like to see nudity, is not your conventional hollywood soft porn b movie.
Enjoy the film with friends, it's one of those that makes you ask all the right questions.
the start of a (hopefully) outstanding career
dromasca4 October 2008
This is the first full time feature of Dover Koshashvili, an Israeli director of Geogian origin who made only one film since then, and now has two other films in production. I love his work (although not perfect) and found it as some of the most promising stuff in the recent raising wave of better Israeli cinema.
Dover Koshashvili is placing the action of his films in the media of the Georgian community in Israel. Describing the culture shock and traumas of the meeting between the immigrant societies and traditions and the young but so conflict ridden Israeli society is a recurring theme in the Israeli film since the 50s and 60s, and lately was combined with other genres like the ethnic intermarriage theme, so well known for example to British film makers examining Indian and Pakistanis assimilation in the UK.
'Hatuna Meuheret' is however more than an ethnic, or immigrants, or wedding movie, it stands ahead by the quality and bluntness of the approach in describing the family relations, by the fine understanding of the relations between characters within and out the traditional family cell, and by the almost perfect mastering of the actors work. Moni Moshonov for example in the father role is of a completely different ethnic origin, but he not only delivers his role in perfect Georgian (so I heard) but he is also exemplary in radiating the brutality, the sharp feelings and the limitations of his character.
I am really curious if the coming movies of Dover Koshashvili are still entrenched in the Georgian immigrants universe. It is probably time for such an original voice to find his way out, so that he is not stereotype perceived by viewers into one genre. In any case I am looking forward to watch his work in the years to come.
Dover Koshashvili is placing the action of his films in the media of the Georgian community in Israel. Describing the culture shock and traumas of the meeting between the immigrant societies and traditions and the young but so conflict ridden Israeli society is a recurring theme in the Israeli film since the 50s and 60s, and lately was combined with other genres like the ethnic intermarriage theme, so well known for example to British film makers examining Indian and Pakistanis assimilation in the UK.
'Hatuna Meuheret' is however more than an ethnic, or immigrants, or wedding movie, it stands ahead by the quality and bluntness of the approach in describing the family relations, by the fine understanding of the relations between characters within and out the traditional family cell, and by the almost perfect mastering of the actors work. Moni Moshonov for example in the father role is of a completely different ethnic origin, but he not only delivers his role in perfect Georgian (so I heard) but he is also exemplary in radiating the brutality, the sharp feelings and the limitations of his character.
I am really curious if the coming movies of Dover Koshashvili are still entrenched in the Georgian immigrants universe. It is probably time for such an original voice to find his way out, so that he is not stereotype perceived by viewers into one genre. In any case I am looking forward to watch his work in the years to come.
Very realistic perspective on the new georgian generation's problem
legitimy15 April 2003
Late Marriage is a not an easy film to watch. Although it may appear as an ethnic comedy at first, the film gradually grows to a melancholic drama, focusing on the the main problem of the new generation of Georgian individuals - the dualism between their traditions and between their desires to join the modern society. Zaza (played hillariously by Lior Ashkenzai) reflects this problem well - He is an educated Phd., and yet, he finds it hard to fulfil his desires to marry a girl which is not from his Georgian tribe, for he knows the complications to come, and knows that he will fail in coping with them.
Late Marriage is an excellent drama, which touches the very-exposed nurvs of the Georgians, yet handles delicately the matter within. You should not miss it.
Late Marriage is an excellent drama, which touches the very-exposed nurvs of the Georgians, yet handles delicately the matter within. You should not miss it.
Good Israeli comedy
Andy-2968 April 2007
One might have thought that arranged marriages are a thing of the past among Israeli Jews. But according to this bittersweet comedy, the tradition is alive and well, at least among the conservative Georgian Jewish community in Israel the movie is set on (director Kashashivili belongs to that community). The protagonist of the movie is Zaza, an unmarried man in his early thirties and graduate student in philosophy (played by the fine actor Lior Ashkenazi, who starred as the brutal Mossad agent in another great Israeli movie, Walk on Water). His concerned family shows him young, attractive, and eligible girls, but he resists them all - since he already has a secret love affair with Judith, a sexually liberated divorced mother. Zaza knows his extended family would never accept Judith; but when they find out, the results are worse than you can imagine. Let just say, quoting one critic, that joining the Foreign Legion is probably preferable than living with such suffocating family. The ending is quite sad, but this is a remarkable film.
The Love Making was well done!
marianshapiro17 September 2002
I thought the dialogue didn't make much sense, but the love making sure was well done. Maybe the words didn't translate well into English, but I couldn't imagine people really saying such stupid and stilted things to each other. I couldn't imagine parents acting so awful to their son or the son tolerating it. I didn't realize that these were immigrant families with all the struggles of being in a very different culture. It just seemed so foreign, nothing like the Israeli culture that I know. It was such a disgusting way to treat the girlfriend and the son, that I hated the whole thing. It also didn't make sense to me when the son hugged his father in a sexual way at the end. The only thing I liked was the lovemaking which was very well acted. Also the child was superbly acted.
A Dark Movie
arzmail10 August 2002
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS probably ahead.
I think this is one of the darkest movies I've ever seen. The review that I read beforehand talked of an "unexpected" ending, and like most people I imagine, I was expecting Zaza to do something drastic. Perhaps what he did do was the most drastic thing.
Much can be made of the fact of the conflict of tradition vs. youth or whatever, but really the movie is about a young person unable to believe in his own feelings and ideas. Never does Zaza try to insist that this is the woman he wants. To his parents, the woman he loves is just someone he is screwing around with, because he never tells them differently. Even at 31, working on a doctorate, he is just a spoiled child.
Others responded that they simply didn't identify with Zaza or that he was too "simple". What could be more complex than someone who lets what he loves be taken away from him? He unlocks the door to his lover's building so that his parents can come up and destroy his relationship.
This is all too real, all too human.
I find the ending ingenious. Instead of a normal, fantastic movie ending, we are hit with reality.
I think this is one of the darkest movies I've ever seen. The review that I read beforehand talked of an "unexpected" ending, and like most people I imagine, I was expecting Zaza to do something drastic. Perhaps what he did do was the most drastic thing.
Much can be made of the fact of the conflict of tradition vs. youth or whatever, but really the movie is about a young person unable to believe in his own feelings and ideas. Never does Zaza try to insist that this is the woman he wants. To his parents, the woman he loves is just someone he is screwing around with, because he never tells them differently. Even at 31, working on a doctorate, he is just a spoiled child.
Others responded that they simply didn't identify with Zaza or that he was too "simple". What could be more complex than someone who lets what he loves be taken away from him? He unlocks the door to his lover's building so that his parents can come up and destroy his relationship.
This is all too real, all too human.
I find the ending ingenious. Instead of a normal, fantastic movie ending, we are hit with reality.
We Are One GFF Review: Late Marriage / Sultry, Romantic Drama / 6 Stars
nairtejas30 May 2020
In about 100 minutes, Late Marriage gives you a deep look into the matrimonial customs (primarily that in a man-woman relationship the man HAS to be older), traditions, and tabooed relationships of Israel of the late 1980s where a man and his divorcee girlfriend see their clandestine relationship as the central conflict for the former's family, further feeding you with some immaculately steamy sexual sequences and laugh-out-loud comedy that is bound to extract quite a few tee-hees from you even if it loses that very steam and gets over-dramatic towards the end. TN.
(Watched and reviewed at the We Are One Global Film Festival on YouTube. Curated by the Jerusalem Film Festival.)
(Watched and reviewed at the We Are One Global Film Festival on YouTube. Curated by the Jerusalem Film Festival.)
Refreshing and notable
mikepwong14 September 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Rating: 8 out of 10. Directed by Dover Koshashvili. This film takes place in Israel and is about a very traditional Georgian-Jewish immigrant family. The main character is Zaza, played superbly by Lior Loui Ashkenazi. Early on in the film, we see the 31-year-old Zaza take part with his family as they play matchmaker for him, introducing him to much younger beautiful eligible women of suitable ethnic backgrounds, and wealthy if possible. Zaza has been introduced to many potential brides, without success, yet his family will not give up.
Zaza is not interested in the women that his family tries to pair him up with. He is involved with an older lovely divorced single mother named Judith, played by Ronit Elkabetz. Since his family would not approve of Judith, Zaza has never mentioned her to them.
Zaza's family suspect that Zaza has a lover and stake out Judith's home. After parking in front of Judith's home all day and into the night, Zaza arrives to visit Judith and her daughter, not long after wards, Zaza's mother, father, sister, grandmother, two aunts, and two uncles barge in on Zaza and Judith. The family members call Judith a whore. Zaza's mother says that she would never allow a divorced woman enter their family. Zaza's father goes on about how in their family, the wife is always younger than the husband. The family demands that the relationship ends. Zaza reluctantly acquiesces to his family's demands.
The last scene is a bit strange, but at least it wasn't a `Hollywood' ending. This is a great movie for drama-comedy fans and people with an interest in foreign films.
Zaza is not interested in the women that his family tries to pair him up with. He is involved with an older lovely divorced single mother named Judith, played by Ronit Elkabetz. Since his family would not approve of Judith, Zaza has never mentioned her to them.
Zaza's family suspect that Zaza has a lover and stake out Judith's home. After parking in front of Judith's home all day and into the night, Zaza arrives to visit Judith and her daughter, not long after wards, Zaza's mother, father, sister, grandmother, two aunts, and two uncles barge in on Zaza and Judith. The family members call Judith a whore. Zaza's mother says that she would never allow a divorced woman enter their family. Zaza's father goes on about how in their family, the wife is always younger than the husband. The family demands that the relationship ends. Zaza reluctantly acquiesces to his family's demands.
The last scene is a bit strange, but at least it wasn't a `Hollywood' ending. This is a great movie for drama-comedy fans and people with an interest in foreign films.
buildungs movie
IMdber17 February 2003
Well, it seems movie a) is a quite accurate reflection on georgian-Russian-Jewish immigrants; b) goes a bit too far in estimating the power of traditions on a modern israeli (of g-r-j background). Given that Georgian Jews are a bit more traditional than, for example, Russian Jews, it is still true that they are quite open "non-traditional" marriage options, like marrying a divorcée or a non-Jewish woman. It's possible, if the guy really wants to, but, then, being an autobiographical movie of a non-married director, how is this film supposed to end? -- either in non-marriage or a reluctant commitment, which it does end with...
In summary don't take the love/marriage story for real, just enjoy the show of g-r-j character
In summary don't take the love/marriage story for real, just enjoy the show of g-r-j character
Cinematic Delight
Electric_Sheep18 April 2005
Intro ... This is what good movie making is all about. Short and to the point, pretensions are out of question.
The Scenario ...is a 31 year old main character (Zaza) who is being pressurized into marrying a girl from his society (Georgian Jewish). Zaza unfortunately is in love (maybe) but definitely involved with an older divorcée with a child. The parents are well concerned folks who want their only son to be wed in the right way and hence progressing well in society.
The Story ... can be divided into a few main scenes which sum up and present the outcome in the end. One of the main scenes is the graphic sex scene which is actually so very reminiscent of what happens in our personal lives. Full marks there. Another scene is the confrontation of Zaza'a family at his lover's place, chilling and sad (done with zero music). The ending scene is also delightful irrespective of positive/negative outcomes where Zaza finally speaks out of his fate to his parents (done in a clever way).
It explores the point of view of a young & intelligent scholar to be as well as the point of view of the parents. For many people outside the Asian continent, it will be difficult to fathom the parents' point of view but it exists in every Asian society even today.
Who should watch it ... This is a movie for people interested in watching different cultures and the social stigmas of marriage elsewhere. Well acted, non sentimental and reaching out to the audience in full glory.
The Scenario ...is a 31 year old main character (Zaza) who is being pressurized into marrying a girl from his society (Georgian Jewish). Zaza unfortunately is in love (maybe) but definitely involved with an older divorcée with a child. The parents are well concerned folks who want their only son to be wed in the right way and hence progressing well in society.
The Story ... can be divided into a few main scenes which sum up and present the outcome in the end. One of the main scenes is the graphic sex scene which is actually so very reminiscent of what happens in our personal lives. Full marks there. Another scene is the confrontation of Zaza'a family at his lover's place, chilling and sad (done with zero music). The ending scene is also delightful irrespective of positive/negative outcomes where Zaza finally speaks out of his fate to his parents (done in a clever way).
It explores the point of view of a young & intelligent scholar to be as well as the point of view of the parents. For many people outside the Asian continent, it will be difficult to fathom the parents' point of view but it exists in every Asian society even today.
Who should watch it ... This is a movie for people interested in watching different cultures and the social stigmas of marriage elsewhere. Well acted, non sentimental and reaching out to the audience in full glory.
Interesting issue, maybe worth the watch, but I wouldn't say "great"
megomez31 January 2004
I came into the movie with good reviews in mind, but in reality found the movie was not "all that," although it was an interesting subject and I liked the authenticity of certain parts, most notably the strange ending. I have read many of the comments posted here and it is interesting to see the different viewpoints of the viewers. Certain comments helped me to better understand the film and my own reaction to it. My initial reaction is to be upset at how inhuman and unloving we humans can be in regards to ourselves and each other. How the family treated the divorced woman that Zaza was in love with, and even worse in front of her daughter, and how Zaza reacted mostly passively, was appalling and infuriating. I thought the mother was just dreadful. The ending was a bitter pill and makes you wonder how people can live like that. How dead life can be. The sad thing is that this situation, of parents, family members sort of maneuvering and dictating others lives, especially in a such a personal realm as marriage, is not necessarily restricted to particular cultures. As the director lets us see, it seems so inconceivable that these things happen, cruel and inhuman as they are, and yet they are what is accepted as normal and right. What is insane is seen as sane, and what is authentic and loving and real is seen as wrong and insane. Everything is upside-down....and that is so clearly evident. I must say this makes me think of the death penalty...we allow others to be killed because they are decided (how??) (is there some mathematical equation!!!) to be declared hardened, when in reality those deciding are heartless, merciless, unforgiving, cold, murderous, calculating, and all those adjectives they love to give about the person in question, in short hardened. They are taking others lives for the very crime they are in fact partaking in. If you believe in the Ten Commandments, "thou shalt not kill.".....there were no if ands or buts, or well in such and such a case..." It's obnoxious, no worse, criminal. Complete insanity and yet somehow this killing is considered legal(?) and right(!)...and these are the same pro-lifers!!! The irony (sickening) never ends. Goes to show how true (scary) that ending is and how numb as a society we can be and in many cases are. Look at the US today. Murder being committed inside and abroad through our "government" and we just watch..and even more scary are going to potentially...I so pray not..going to support it or allow it to be supported (which is the same....i.e by not voting) again. The sin of commission and the sin of omission, they're all one big happy family when it comes down to it. This movie...it's authenticity is so relevant...the more i think about it. In the ending, in the words of the little speech Zaza tells "the audience," he stumbles over their irony....Zaza realizing the absurdity, struggling with it, then swallowing his sense of truth, and "carrying on." It's tragic...what else can be said....except maybe, "How is this possible!!!"
The Most Erotic Film Ever
donwc19964 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This film has without a doubt the longest and most erotic bedroom scene ever done in movies. You can actually see the guy's aroused state if you look close enough. That's a first for me in film. To say my hormones were bouncing around would be an understatement. The male lead and his knock-out female companion were not kidding around when they did this scene. It was for real and that's no joke. I had just seen the male lead in another fabulous film, Walking on Water, where I came to the realization he has to be one of the hottest men in the movies, but Water only hints at just how hot this guy is where in this film he ascends to the highest plane of hotness. Paired with the hottest female ever seen in film the duo make magic in spades. It has taken me a couple of days to calm down from this flick!
One of the best foreign movies of the year
Quinoa198428 June 2002
Warning: Spoilers
Late Marriage, a new Israeli film from debut filmmaker Dover Koshashvili, delivers a splendid mix of scattered wit and family/romantic tension into a movie that shows realism in all its familiarity, cruelty and interest. Here, Zaza (Ashkenazi) is being brought around by his parents all over the place to try and find a wife for him, being that he's 31 and not married. Instead, he carries on an affair with Judith (Elkabitz), a 34 year old divorcee with a child. When his family finds out, it doesn't go over too well. The film includes a sex scene with a great deal of frankness, which is good for two reasons, one, because it shows how other countries can still get away with what here in USA the MPAA deems offensive and crude and two, it gives the older men in the theaters with their wives the only way to see bare female flesh. Or perhaps that's an overstatement. Anyway, this movie gives observations on tradition in Middle-Eastern Jewish life and is astute almost throughout. The biggest flaws lie in that Zaza is never the character he could be, and the final scene (which I won't reveal as a spoiler) is muddled and has purpose but is rushed with strangeness. But the bulk is the best stuff from Israel in a while, so there. A-
waste of time
yespat11 December 2004
This film is certainly well acted. The actors seem like real people. They have characters that are fleshed out in sufficient fashion. The film deals with a life situation that is unknown to me and thusly a good thing--by providing insight in a slice of life that I would never have known about. All of that may make one think that this is a film worth watching. That is not the case. When it was over, I kept thinking, "what a waste of time." I can enjoy a "small film" as this certainly is and generally tend to prefer them over typical Hollywood blockbusters. In my opinion, this was a small film whose audience probably is those who are affected by Israeli customs. I guess for me, it did not speak to my life in any way and seemed like a waste, even though I can say that it was about as well done as it could be for what it was about.
Have I confused you? I suppose the issue is, unless you have a particular interest in daily Israeli customs, I doubt you would find this worth your time. Also, I think the reason this film was such a downer for me is because there were no sympathetic characters, no one I could care about. They were all bound by custom and none could live successfully against the repressive rules. Not that I demand a happy ending, it just seemed unremittingly depressing for no good end. It wasn't a bad film but I would prefer to have those hours back.
Have I confused you? I suppose the issue is, unless you have a particular interest in daily Israeli customs, I doubt you would find this worth your time. Also, I think the reason this film was such a downer for me is because there were no sympathetic characters, no one I could care about. They were all bound by custom and none could live successfully against the repressive rules. Not that I demand a happy ending, it just seemed unremittingly depressing for no good end. It wasn't a bad film but I would prefer to have those hours back.
A unique film
peter0720 November 2003
I thought this was an interesting film, though it didn't cover as much of the relationship between the guy and his family. As an ethnic Korean male, I can understand family pressure on marriage and to marry someone who will fit in. The good thing about the film was the end, as unlike most Hollywood fare, the ending was very realistic in that it didn't fall into cliche and the like. It presented the probable ending as opposed to the sentimental ending.
Three stars.
Three stars.
A realistic portrayal of two generation cultural conflict
brant@aaahawk.com2 September 2002
A riveting and haunting story, that I viewed a day after seeing "Fat Greek Wedding", which dealt in a way with a similar subject in a lighter more farcical manner. This movie was gut wrenching at some times and funny at others. I hoped for a different ending, but I understood the need for the ending as it is. As a volunteer social worker with refugees, the culture clash is real between generations,and within one group living in America, brides are "sold" and cousins sometimes marry. Matchmaking is alive in America in fundamentalist communities of all types and I certainly was not suprised by the portrayal of the Georgian community. The lead actors connnected with each other in an amazingly real way and Zazas parents were excellent, especially as his mother became bittersweet at the end. I know a 37 year old professional from a middle east group who has never dated, nor will do so without her parents permission or their death-the respect for family ties and tradition is so great.
This is a movie one will remember and it will be a classic on this subject
This is a movie one will remember and it will be a classic on this subject
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