Arranged (2007) User Reviews

Uplifting film about Jewish-Muslim friendship

[JustCuriosity · 8/10 · 15 March 2007]

This film screened at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. This is a warm feel good film with a positive message that would be particularly good for teaching teens about overcoming prejudice and understanding different cultures. The film focuses on two young female teachers - one an Orthodox Jew and the other an observant Muslim - who are assigned to work together in a multi-ethnic school in Brooklyn.

The film is charming and uplifting as the two women learn that they have more in common with each other than either would have expected. They find friendship with each other, because they are both confronting similar issues with their parents and the secular world. They are also both undergoing the difficulty of trying to find a mate through their community's traditional systems of arranged marriage. While some of the characters come off as walking stereotypes (the Jewish matchmaker appears to be straight out of Fiddler on the Roof), the film for the most part does a sensitive job of portraying both Islam and Judaism in a very positive light. The film respects the women's genuine commitment to their faiths even as they struggle with difficult aspects of their faiths.

Arranged also shows the difficulties and prejudices that both women experience for being religiously observant from secular people (particularly the school's idiot principal). This latter subject is an important one that is rarely addressed in the secular film world where religion is too often mocked as irrational and oppressive - particular towards women - rather than understood on its own terms.

The acting and the script are sometimes uneven and there are moments that feel like an after school special. The conclusion is a bit too simplistic. But the message about both necessity and possibility of multi-religious co-existence is a good one presented with humor, warmth, and intelligence. In a world, where religion is often the basis of division and hatred, it is good to see a film that attempts to show that Jewish-Muslim co-existence is possible.

The Power of Friendship and Tolerance

[tigerfish50 · 8/10 · 21 August 2010]

Nasira and Rochel are the daughters of a Koranic scholar and Orthodox Jewish fathers beginning their teaching careers at a NY elementary school, who are drawn together by their common experience of belonging to conservative religious communities. The film's title focuses on the issue of arranged marriage, but the two women are only subjected to fairly mild forms of arm-twisting associated with this patriarchal custom. The main theme is their friendship across a cultural divide, which provides support as they resist the school principal's disapproval of their beliefs and parental pressure to marry.

Nasira's father is portrayed as a traditionalist who simply cannot envision his daughter's future without marriage and children. He offers only minimal resistance when Nasira rejects his chosen prospect - and the father-daughter relationship appears to be strengthened by the episode. Meanwhile Rochel resists a comical onslaught from her mother and a gaggle of marriage arrangers when they present her with a parade of socially inept suitors. Her mother bullies her with warnings about family disgrace and lifelong spinsterhood, and blames her for her father's rising blood pressure.

Francis Benhamou and Zoe Lister Jones deliver fine performances as Nasira and Rochel. They are backed up by their support cast as the screenplay and direction navigate a narrow passage between melodrama and realism. By the time the story reaches its conclusion, only the most stubborn cynic will remain immune to these unusual heroines.

Delightful Movie But a Stretch

[Paul-271 · 8/10 · 14 December 2010]

I took a long shot watching this one on demand as recommended to me by the robot at Netflix. This one, unlike some others, was right on. The two main characters are a delight as was, at least for me, having an excursion into two highly alien cultures. Those cultures were Arab Muslim orthodox as well as Jewish Orthodox. The pivot of the movie is simple. There are two elementary school teachers each belonging to one of those communities who form a friendship as each is soon to be subject to an arranged marriage.

Other reviews will clue you in on more if you wish to read more plot-wise. For me, the charm of the movie resides entirely in the depiction of the characters especially the two soon to be married women. I was charmed by the movie and very much so those two friends.

What bothered me about the movie and something I've not seen mentioned is the political correctness evident throughout. The Jews are depicted as narrow minded somewhat brutal or stupid haters of all things either Arab or maybe non-Jew. Meanwhile the Arabs are all mellow high IQ tolerant understanding scholars. Where the Jews threaten and brutalize their daughter, the Arabs are understanding of theirs.

Even the home life reflects this. The Arabs are a loving family while the Jews snipe at each other, whine, terrify the daughter by saying her behavior will kill the father and even includes a consistently nasty little kid.

Perhaps this does reflect the reality of the two cultures. I surely can't say personally speaking, but the contrast did stand out to this reviewer.

That said, I can't recommend the movie enough for its good points, its charm and its general feel goodness.

A 'promising' film... which disappoints on its gender politics.

[supzz · 6/10 · 7 May 2014]

It is not often that one gets to see films dealing with intense, political issues such as feminist and religious identity, and that too with an interesting storyline, well sketched characters, confident craft and decent performances. And when such a film falters, markedly on its politics, the disappointment is profound. This is the case with Arranged, which had all the makings of an indie classic, and was an absolutely beautiful watch till… ah well, the end!

The film is set in New York and is woven around the lives of two young women, Nasira, a Muslim and and Rochel, an orthodox Jew, who are teachers and happen to join the same school. They soon become friends, partly because they share some classes, but also because they have something in common, which is their reverence to religion. What binds them even more is their ongoing struggle with meeting prospective grooms from their own communities, as arranged by the family.

Their religious identity and perhaps conformity is a constant source of irritation for the school principal, who reminds them of the women's movement and urges them to exert their freedom and choice, including in the matter of marriage. But her brief sermons leave them rather cold, as they feel that choice is indeed available to them and that a blanket rejection of all that is traditional is unreasonable. Even as they participate in the ritual of groom hunting, they also question it many times, but only till "Mr Perfect" comes along. Then they happily get married and their faith in "God's will" is reinforced.

Such an end is somewhat perplexing and even disturbing. It is true that today when religious minorities everywhere often suffer pressure or prosecution to integrate in the 'majoritarian mainstream', their right to preserve their religious identity and traditions needs much bolstering. It is also true that feminism itself has many shades and the western liberal framework may not understand or explain the plurality of feminist experiences and expressions. To that extent, the film sensitively addresses a critical issue of diversity and religious tolerance. But religious and the traditions they sanction cannot be impervious to criticism, for these can well be violent and violate the most fundamental of human rights, especially of women, who are often burdened to be the carriers of these traditions.

'Arranged marriage' may perhaps not seem an urgent human rights issue, especially in the way it is represented here, where women do have a say in whether they like a suitor, and where they eventually find a partner of their choice. But even a glance outside this somewhat cosy narrative reveals darker stories. In India, where I come from, this institution of arranged marriage is ubiquitous, which is mostly an arrangement made by parents to keep the purity of their status, religion and caste intact, and which is often the only choice available to the majority of young women. If these women do reject this tradition and find a partner of their choice, they can face extreme consequences, such as even 'honour killings'. Not to mention that a high percentage of married women in India suffer from some kind of domestic violence but are unable to break away due to pressures of family to adjust and compromise. Given that all these marriages are religiously solemnized, a big question hangs on whether the will of family or god is always right!

There is little doubt that marriages arranged by self or family can equally be a success or failure, and that any choice is always mediated by constraints. But this film, in its happy resolution, misses this point, and ends up glorifying traditions and institutions that bear very heavy on women in most parts of the world, and which therefore need much resistance and defiance. While the film carries a valuable message of friendship and tolerance, but sadly it fails on its gender politics.

The best film at SXSW 2007

[mrsouth · 10/10 · 14 March 2007]

I had no idea what to expect when I walked into this film at SXSW. All I knew was that it was about a Muslim and a Jew who become friends. I figured it would be some kind of Movie of the Week type film with a sentimental "let's all get along" message, but it turned out to be a lot more complicated and interesting than that.

The main plot is that an Orthodox Jew (Zoe Lister Jones) and a Muslim (Frances Benhamou) work at a public school together, and find that their conservative lifestyles and impending arranged marriages make them have more in common with each other than anybody else at the school... even though Jews and Muslims as groups historically have some problems with each other.

It establishes the worlds of Orthodox Judaism and Islam so pitch-perfectly that the movie is fascinating just on the level of observing the lives of others. Though, to be sure, Orthodox Judaism does seem to get a bit more screen time, probably because the writer and the director both have more direct experience with Judaism than Islam. What we do see of both worlds is rife with similarities: both are marked by a reverence for history and tradition, and both are somewhat suspicious of people not members of their particular group. What the two lead women in this film hope to do is embrace the first part of their identities, while rejecting the second part.

Because this story is more concerned with character than multiple plot points, it would have failed without good performances. Luckily, the filmmakers found Lister-Jones and Benhamou to play the Jewish woman and the Muslim woman, respectively. They turn in two flawless performances, and prove themselves to be actresses to watch.

A good attempt at tackling an unusual subject

[rivkama · 7/10 · 20 March 2012]

As an orthodox (religious) Israeli Jew - I would like to give my impression of this film which deals with the friendship that evolves between 2 young teachers one a religious Muslim and the other religious (orthodox) Jewish. Firstly despite the political tensions that there are between Jews & Arabs culturally they have more in common with each other then with Christens or the atheistic/non religious western culture – So it does not surprise me the plot of their friendship. I think the film goes along way in tackling the misconception that an arranged marriage means no choice and depicting-especially through the biased principal -the intolerance of the supposedly open minded western world. That said, I feel there is some what of an inaccurate and biased portrayal of Rachel , her family and the religious(orthodox) Jewish world. Firstly some quotes from other reviews that also felt this:

"when Nasira firmly refuses his chosen prospect, he offers only

minimal resistance - and the father-daughter relationship appears

to be strengthened by the episode. It is Rochel who must resist the

most serious psychological onslaught from a gaggle of marriage

arrangers after they present her with a parade of socially inept

misfits. When all of them are rejected, Rochel's mother blames her

unrealistic expectations for her father's rising blood pressure, and

predicts lifelong spinsterhood, family disgrace and diminished

marriage prospects for a younger sister - and Rochel subsequently

begins to consider fleeing her family's community.

The scenes that follow all have to do with welcoming strangers into

one's home (The Muslim family does, the Jewish one does not),

choices in marriage (both girls have a problem with this, but only

the Jewish woman has a problem with her family as well) or the talk

that binds their friendship."

"What bothered me about the movie and something I've not seen

mentioned is the political correctness evident throughout. The Jews

are depicted as narrow minded somewhat brutal or stupid haters of all

things either Arab or maybe non-Jew. Meanwhile the Arabs are all

mellow high IQ tolerant understanding scholars. Where the Jews

threaten and brutalize their daughter, the Arabs are understanding of

theirs.

Even the home life reflects this. The Arabs are a loving family while

the Jews snipe at each other, whine, terrify the daughter by saying

her behavior will kill the father and even includes a consistently

nasty little kid." The Muslim family in general is depicted as more open to strangers and in a more positive light. While there may well exist individuals in the religious American Jewish world who fit the picture presented – I feel it is more a stereotyped caricature. While Rachel's mother might have had misgivings about Rachel's Muslim friend coming over she would not have made her leave.(welcoming quests is an important part of both Arab and Jewish culture). The film also made all except the Last of Rachel's shidduch dates out to be total losers and misfits – this would rarely be the case –though it might Take a number of "tries" to find the right one. In the reality of how arranged marriages work in the Jewish world a lot of time would be spent before the actual date checking the "prospect" out by getting character references from at least 3-4 different sources. Also the Shadchanit seemed to always only stress the prospective boy's financial future.In reality more stress is usually placed on the boy's knowledge of Torah(Jewish law)Good character ,level of observance of Jewish law and specific traits one is looking for – quiet or gregarious etc. The object being not to have the couple meet unless there is a Good chance of compatibility. Again while it is a pressured process most families would be more understanding and less pressuring then Rachel's family is portrayed. Also there are many different sub groups of orthodox Jews and depending on the custom of the the sub group the couple would meet from a few times to say up till about 3 months before getting engaged. In reality these marriages are usually more stable and successful then the secular –live together for a couple of years then maybe marry type. Why ? The difference between visiting a place as a tourist or looking for a place to live-one looks for different things and there's a different kind of commitment. Yes as opposed to modern western culture – marriage and family are seen as central to life and not to get married not really an option.

In short this film was an interesting attempt at tackling an unusual subject but the inaccurate negative caricatures spoil it.

Better Romantic Comedy Than Most

[intelearts · 9/10 · 5 January 2008]

This is a delightful and thoughtful comedy.

Two supposedly diametrically opposed worlds meet in Rochel (Zoe Lister-Jones) an orthodox Jew and Nasira (Francis Benhamou) a Muslim.

Both woman are teachers who find that as they both have to find their husbands through the arranged marriage process they have more in common with each other than the secular world.

The delight is that is is a pretty straight-up great romantic comedy - Rochel keeps being set up with the wrong guys, Nasira gets the embarrassing dinner etc; of course, the road to true love is not smooth...

It really is very funny, witty - and well acted, especially Francis Benhamou as Nasira, who is stunning and positively lights up the screen with her smile.

Just a lovely film that deserves all the play it can get, and definitely deserves to be seen by anyone who loves romantic comedies.

Warmly recommended.

Entertaining but somewhat lacking

[stevepat99 · 7/10 · 30 April 2008]

First off, despite my gripes I truly enjoyed this film. With that said I had to suspend belief and accept the fact that Rochel and Nasira, Jewish and Moslem elementary school teachers, had the luck of the Irish! Second, let's get this so-called 'comedy' thing out of the way. IMDb's key words makes no mention of comedy, Rotten Tomatoes ID's the film as a drama and I agree with both. Serious drama is the name of the game given the film's themes of orthodox, tradition laden Jewish and Moslem families, the desire of two young women to honor these traditions and their angst to the core at the prospect that one common tradition, arranged marriages, may force them to enter dreaded loveless unions. And yes, like many dramas there are a few light moments along the way.

As a culture clash friendship between the women blossoms in the workplace it becomes clear that both women would like to re-define 'arranged' so that it insures they will find and marry 'Mr. Rights.' To be sure, fine script and acting plus excellent chemistry between these new friends abounds..

My major gripe is the 'luck of the Irish' component. In astounding fashion, given the heavy themes, Rochel and Nasira catch every unlikely 'break' possible throughout the film. Father wants Nasira to marry his very old looking friend who is literally 20+ years her senior .....she pleads with mom to 'stop it' and steeped in tradition Moslem dad instantly caves in. I don't think so.

Rochel catches similar breaks. After suffering through a parade of hideous men, losers all, she revolts and announces she is taking a break from matchmaking. Her overbearing mother first forbids this and just as suddenly caves in and tells the matchmaker her daughter in on break. I don't think so.

By chance Rochel spies a orthodox Jewish 'hunk.' She will catch a very unrealistic, albeit humorous, break that will enable her to see him again. Nasira will catch the best of all breaks in her effort to marry for love within the strict family arranged marriage system.

The weakness of the script lies in its lack of serious dramatic plot developments and it's 'moral' conclusion to wit: Don't worry, be happy, put angst aside cause arranged marriages can be FUN.

Excellent depiction of a friendship we all wish for

[williamscole-1 · 9/10 · 16 March 2007]

Arranged is a beautifully shot and written film that will pull you right into a story that we all hope happens. An Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim woman are both teachers who meet and become friends, learning about each other without the fraught biases that so often stop such a natural connection. In this case it's also a sensitive look at marriages often condemned as arranged and overly religious but quite often happening in a positive and consensual way. The film is quite an accomplishment. I saw it at SXSW and the audience was enthralled, teary and ultimately happy - a testament to the power of this film to help cross bridges and wipe away stereotypes.

nice, feel-good movie with blinders on

[deschreiber · 7/10 · 6 January 2012]

This is really a nice movie, with highly sympathetic characters and a bit of tension between the Jewish and Muslim cultures (not too much, mind you), and a pleasant, happy, all's-well-with-the-world ending (apart from the prominent anti-male comment). But it leaves you wondering whether it isn't mostly a fantasy. Did family and neighbours really do no more than tsk-tsk at their friendship? No insults? No warnings? No threats? The young women were very family-bound and would have found it very difficult to choose friendship over family loyalty. But most of all did the two friends never talk about Israel and Palestine? How could they avoid a rift when that topic came up? Still, I suppose not every movie has to fit perfectly into reality. Arranged is a very nice feel-good movie that should have been seen more widely.

Multi-layered heartwarming story

[envision3334 · 10/10 · 8 June 2007]

This is an engaging story that feels very real, and very important in our times when so many walls keep people from connecting with each other. It is so refreshing to have the bigger theme of cultural and religious differences treated with respect and interest, and with an absence of violence. The gradual and delicate building of the friendship between Rochel and Nasira is beautifully portrayed. And the film is funny! You don't have to be Jewish or Muslim to recognize the family dynamics, and you don't need to have attempted an "arranged" relationship to feel right into those first dates. The themes are familiar but never fall into cliché. The writing is crisp and the plot twists keep you wondering what's coming next. The two leads are excellently cast and balance each other without ever pushing for center stage. The directors had a firm sense of pacing -- they trust you to live into the often very beautiful images yourself. The film is permeated with respect -- for the story, for the viewers, for the creativity that clearly lived between the actors, and for the possibilities of real human meeting and understanding.

Could Have Been A Hallmark movie

[bzager · 7/10 · 7 June 2020]

A young Muslim and Jewish woman coming of age become friends and find out the have almost parallel lives.Both are teachers and long to be happy wives, as well. The movie stumbles in a scene about accepting others as they are. However, it did have some highlights, including that the best matrch-maker in the film is not who you would expect. I enjoyed the movie a lot.

Death By Political Correctness

[hpipik · 4/10 · 5 January 2012]

So, two girls from traditional families, one Jewish one Muslim, discover they have much more in common than anyone imagined. Sadly, this movie is nothing more than the heartfelt wish, of the writers and director, for how the world ought to be, not how it really is. Do not confuse this movie for reality.

The girls are attractive, the acting is good, the sentiment is sweet, and I enjoyed the scenes of Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, a place I know fairly well. But to call the movie sophomoric is to give sophomores a bad name.

Yes, of course, individuals are the same everywhere, but this explains almost nothing about the world we live in. If everybody wants to be left in peace and to mind his own business, why are there wars? Why do husbands beat wives? Why do mothers abandon children? Ethnic cleansing? Jihad? Crusades? Etc., etc., etc. The world is more complicated than two young women who want to marry for love. Considerably more complicated, and a lot nastier.

Rachel and Nasira teach 4th grade at an elementary school in Brooklyn. Early in the movie, the children wonder about the teachers working together, and one students asks, "Don't the Muslims want to kill the Jews?" and the movie is off and running with its basic message that people everywhere are the same and all the unpleasantness is just a terrible misunderstanding.

There is no misunderstanding. Lots of people have lots of ideas, and not all these ideas are sweet and generous.

One poignant moment came when Nasira rejected the first suitor her father chose for her. Her father understood (so arranged marriages are alright). Well, fathers sometimes do understand. But twelve year old Afghan and Yemeni girls marrying 40 and 50 year old men is proof that fathers sometimes do not understand.

If Stefan Schaefer and Yuta Silverman (the writers), and Diane Crespo (the director), want to do more than "imagine world peace," if they want to strike a blow for world peace, they would do us all a favor by telling how it really is, rather than concocting a fable of arranged marriages.

Sweet movie, but with major flaws in some plot elements and characters

[HereNoEvil · 6/10 · 21 September 2009]

Others have commented on this film's many assets and fewer flaws, many of which I agree with. Two flaws that have not been touched upon continue to bother me days after seeing the film. Both may be considered SPOILERS, though if I had known of them before seeing the film, it would not have reduced my enjoyment.

First flaw: After Nasira's Muslim faith becomes an issue for the children in the classroom, Rochel arranges, with Nasira's consent, a "Unity Circle" in the classroom to teach the children about the problem of labeling. The children get to choose a word that they think best describes them, hold the word up in front of them, and then in turn explain why it describes them. After each explanation, the other kids vote on whether that boy or girl should be allowed to stay in the circle. That works well enough for the first 2 or 3 kids, but then a boy is expelled from the circle for choosing "nasty" to describe himself. The kids agree that only after revising his word to something acceptable would the boy be allowed back into the circle. Rochel and Nasira look approvingly at each other at this turn of events as if some important lesson in tolerance has been taught and learned here, but what lesson is that? That we get to decide what labels are OK for others? What would have been unacceptable grounds for being cast out of the circle? If an African-American child had chosen "Black" to describe herself, would it have been OK to expel her, and to readmit her only if she revised her descriptor to something more acceptable to the group, like "White"? Would "Jewish" or "Muslim" have been acceptable grounds for being cast out? These questions are never explored, and so the point of this intended major exercise in tolerance was lost on me.

The second flaw I want to call attention to is the writing of the Principal's character. Rather early in the film, she has the two women in her office. She bemoans the fact that such fine teachers will be lost to students after just a year or two because they'll get married and start having children, and she tries to persuade them to modernize, even to update their wardrobes. All that makes sense in the context of the rest of her character, but not what she does next, which is to pull a roll of money out of her purse and offer to fund their shopping expedition. (As if a principal would carry a roll of money in her purse, anyway.) The rest of the conversation is in character. The money offer is not. Further (SPOILER ALERT), the Principal is in fact correct that when the women marry and have babies within the next year, it is, as she said, a substantial waste of the women's training, certainly from the institutional perspective of the school and the government, and perhaps also from the perspective of the two women.

A good film about relationships between people of different Religion.

[benni-7 · 10/10 · 16 March 2007]

I saw Arranged at SXSW festival, I was somewhat skeptical of the concept beforehand but was in for a nice surprise. The film is what I'd call a chick-flick, but unfortunately I have admit I really liked it.

I could ramble on about the performances of the actors, but I'd like to talk about structure (my favorite). I'm a fan of innovative films (another reason why I should not have liked this one), but more importantly I'm a fan of films who can enter the mainstream of distribution plainness and still fly high above the "average" arena.

This film differs from the mainstream but still manages to stay in there. And that's why I liked it very much. It brings up important questions about how society labels in terms of religion, it manages to create a heartwarming relationship between girlfriends, the main character goes on a soul searching journey and most importantly the resolution is very well executed (here is where most films just fall into the pit of over-simplifying).

A good good film, surprisingly good, especially for my taste.

Excellent Film between Arabs & Jews, Two Thumbs up

[KATO-SUBZERO · 8 February 2016]

Sunday, 7 February 2016

Shalom. Ma nish ma? This is a great film. I wonder why I have not heard or seen it in the year of 2007 when it was released. This film is great from start to finish. It shows how two young women, one Jewish American and one Arab American who bond and develops a friendship by way of working as public teachers.

Their friendships shows how much better the world would be if only the two groups would open their hearts and minds. Arabs & Jews are in reality half brothers/half sister. The two women also have something in common with both sets of families are trying to forced each one into marrying a man they do not date, get to know nor love, henceforth the title "Arranged" or "Arranged Marriage."

I thank God that I live in great U.S. America where our parents in our society does Not force or allow their teens to marry before they are 18 or 21 and marry a man or woman, they do Not get to date and know well and most important to find things in common and physical attractions. In my opinion, 18 is to early, barely out of high school.

This film also show bigotry and racism when Rochel, the young Jewish woman brings home her Arab friend, Nasira and the same when Rochel is in the Arab home. However, in the Arab home, it seems to be a little more friendly and tolerant.

This hatred is NOT of God and Jesus Christ/Yeshua, but due to long ago feuds ever since in the Holy Bible, Abraham was married to his Jewish wife, Sarah who could not have kids. Sarah gave husband Abe permission to be with their house maid, Hagar, an Egyptian Arab woman. Abraham's first son was Ishmael by Hagar. Later on, Abe had a son with his wife, Sarah whose name was Isaac. Hagar and Ishmael was forced to leave and so the feud of hate began.

In reality, "Racism, bigotry and hate is something a child is taught, Not something a child is born with." and "True Love sees No skin color" Anyhoo, this film is excellent. I give it a 10 and two thumbs up.

Shalom, Laila Tov. La heet ra ot.

wrong rule

[atathos-947-443732 · 7/10 · 2 December 2021]

The rule of anti-stereotype game is wrong. If the "nasty" child need to change his name to enter the circle.

It follows, then, that the Jew and the Muslim must change religion in order to enter the circle.

Friendship among Muslims and Jews.

[bluefc2000 · 10/10 · 14 January 2008]

An excellent film.

Summary: A traditional Muslim girl and Jewish girl work together at a school in Brooklyn. Together they experience what it means to adhere to religious and cultural convictions while pursuing one's happiness.

I respect the fact that both Muslims and Jews can live in harmony. I hope the world can learn from this and live in peace. I have friends of many different faiths and living in America gives us the freedom to live peacefully. Amazing. The movie accurately portrays what today's generation of religious Muslims and Jews go through in respect to family pressure and cultural convictions. I could relate to both of the characters and wished for both of the girls' happiness. I hope there are more movies like this to come, consisting of all types of cultures and religions.

Mostly a Good Movie but Could Have Been Better

[nsharky-732-789549 · 7/10 · 29 March 2014]

My wife loves this movie and she would not hesitate to give it a rating of 10. However, since I am the one writing this review, I am entering a rating of 7. Overall, I recommend this movie because it tackles an interesting and original topic, it is pleasant to watch, and the acting is quite good. Having said that, I should also add that the movie would have been much better if the writer/director depicted the two sides in a more even-handed manner. Firstly, it is difficult to miss the attempt of portraying Rachel's family as extremely intolerant while Nazira's family appears to be much more open-minded. Secondly, I agree with the fact (advanced by Nazira) that the vast majority of the 1.5 billion Muslims are peaceful and they do not harbor any ill will toward Jews. However, in the language of statistics, one should not confuse the following two conditional probabilities: Probability of being hostile to Jews given that the person is Muslim, and Probability of being Muslim given that the person is hostile to Jews. Anyway, I am not suggesting that the movie should have addressed this complicated issue. But since the writer decided to mention this topic, it would have been nice if he let Nazira state something along the line of "Our leaders do not tolerate the violent actions of the very few individuals among us".

As a final comment, it is interesting to note that each reviewer has his or her antenna tuned to a particular frequency, so to speak. For instance, Paul stated in December 2010 "What bothered me about the movie is the political correctness evident throughout". On the other hand, Mike stated in April 2010 "This film has a distinctly anti-liberal point of view". Obviously, I agree with Paul. A quick check of Schaefer's views on various issues (such as the environment) shows that he is indeed a liberal.

An uplifting and most enjoyable film

[kastellos · 10/10 · 16 September 2009]

This is a most wonderful film. The acting is first rate, the direction is well paced and the New York backdrop is a joy to see.

The story may appear contrived to some, but to me it was believable. Coming from a strong ethnic background (although not as strong as Jewish Orthodoxy or Observant Muslim), I understood the conflicts "typical" American culture and values place on those that are a little different. While we in America (especially the media) are tolerant of, accommodate and even promote, gays, lesbians, PETA, and most other non-mainstream groups, we don't tend to tolerate religious conservatives. This movie shows that such people are real people. Of course they are lucky to live in America where they can freely practice their beliefs.

The movie works on many planes. The father-daughter relationships are charming. The relationship between the young women and their principal, and with their siblings is also well done. The happy "Jane Austin" ending may not be totally realistic, but it makes most of us feel good inside.

It is both serious and funny. The plethora of ill-suited suitors is very funny; reminds me of the suitors the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding invites to dinner.

The lifestyle of Leah and the women's fellow teachers is a real picture of today's young people. They drink, smoke dope and "hook-up" without a second thought that there may be something wrong with such a life style.

The movie is also about choices. This is made obviously clear when Rachel "tells off" her principal.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I laughed when it was funny and teared up when it was heart-warming, and came away looking forward to see it again. I highly recommend it.

religion is not a central element to friendship... or is it?

[kdilara-00538 · 7/10 · 28 February 2021]

The Arranged is the movie that at first might seem to be very charming and uplifting in its endeavor to present the topic of unity and tolerance among the confessions. Stefan C. Schaefer loosely based the movie script on the personal stories of Yuta Silverman, an Orthodox Jewish woman, that told him about marriage traditions in her community and how she was friends with a Muslim woman (ARRANGED {about}, n.d.). The main characters of the Arranged are Rochel Meshenberg (Zoe Lister-Jones), an Orthodox Jewish, and Nasira Khaldi (Francis Benhamou), a Muslim, who start working as school teachers in New York City. Throughout the movie, these young women are getting closer as they learn how much they actually have in common. Yet, when reflecting on the development of Rochel and Nasira's relationships we understand that it fails to demonstrate that friendship is about accepting the differences of each other, on the contrary, it confirms that similarities are necessary for the friendship to be built. The film aimed to portray that religion is not a central element to friendship by giving us the example of Muslim-Jewish friendship. However, that was constructed at the cost of antagonizing the relationships between secular and religious groups which is generating the same polemic among people because of their varying beliefs. Principal Jacoby is another essential to this story character that represented the position of a secular society towards our heroines' religious views. We can see how directors used principal Jacoby's reproaches to rouse a sense of shared problems between Nasira and Rochel and then elaborate it into a friendship. I found it to be quite disappointing that the non-religious side was presented in an extremely stereotypical manner as if being secular and liberal equals being ignorant, vulgar, and immoral. There was also a scene with Rochel's cousin whose life after leaving the family was introduced as a chance to do the forbidden things like partying, drinking alcohol, and interacting with men. I do not think that the creation of such controversy works in favor of the general message of the movie. The directors, Stefan C. Schaefer and Diane Crespo chose to state the underrepresented, minority position of the religious people acting based on their free will. All movies I have seen previously were depicting religious people as victims and were pursuing liberalizing and hence saving them from oppressive religion. However, this movie shows us that heroines made their own choice to go along with the arranged marriages, not because they were pressured or forced to do so but because they trusted their family and wanted to get their approval too. According to Khurshid educated, Muslim women in Pakistan preferred arranged marriages as they were a more convenient way to filter out suitable candidates both for the family and the bride (2020, p. 95). This was well presented in Nazira's belief to her father and Rochel's decision to try going on dates again, they did it because they were sure that at the end of the day it is their decision that matters the most. An interesting point from the paper on Pakistani women was that conforming to the families' volition gave them more authority in their community as they were seen to still be respectful to their parents regardless of their obtained education (2020, p. 104). Even though this point was not elaborated in the movie we still can see how it might be relevant in the cases of Rochel and Nasira too. At last, I would like to talk about probably the most important scenes in this movie that are crucial for understanding the friendship concept. The first one happens during one of the classes, children ask Rochel and Nasira whether Muslims want to kill Jewish people. Given the fact that this movie was released in 2007 which is just six years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it has permanently changed the religious dynamics in the country. We can assume that those children grew up together with the "war on terror" campaign, so that kind of reasoning is understandable. Any Muslim person was regarded as a prospective terrorist at that time as the wounds of 9/11 were still raw for many Americans. I have a theory that directors might have been intentionally presenting Muslim people as significantly more tolerant and understanding than for example Jewish people in order to clear their reputation from the image of violent religion. The next scene with the Unity Circle exercise might have been the strongest argument of this movie as it had a chance to discuss morals and friendship, instead, it probably was confusing to the audience how the exercise is addressing the question asked by students. I believe that words chosen by children to represent them were a metaphor for the labels we attach to people without even knowing them. However, if we would learn more about that person we might see how s/he is more than just that single word. Sadly, directors were unable to clearly establish and develop this argument. In conclusion, I would like to say that Arranged in my opinion is an exceptional and valuable perception that represents the much less discussed side of religious communities. Both characters after getting through their doubts decide to go with the arranged marriage of their own and free will which is not the popular narrative in the media. This is important to show that people with religious views also have a choice. Unfortunately, while doing this they created strong 'otherness' between religious and non-religious people which made their story less convincing and reasonable overall.

A Feel-Good Movie with a Message

[nturner · 8/10 · 7 November 2008]

Arranged is a feel-good movie with a message. The story concerns two young women who are teachers in a Brooklyn, New York, elementary school. Nasira, the teacher of the fourth grade class is a woman from a traditional Muslim family. Rochel - from an Orthodox Jewish family - is the special needs aid from a legally blind boy in the class. The students raise the question as to whether the two hate each other because it is the understanding that all Jews hate and want to kill all Muslims and vice-versa. The two women become close friends while working together to dispel these prejudicial thoughts of the students.

Both of these young women are bright, caring people in touch with society, but they are both from traditional families that share the common tradition of arranged marriages. Thus, they are both suffering the crisis of being modern, vital women bound to a tradition of an ancient time. However, they are both respectful of the tradition and their families.

I must admit that watching this film was somewhat of an education for me. Personally, I pretty much disdain the practices of organized religions because history has witnessed so much harm committed in their names, but seeing these two young women work out their problems was very insightful. There is an interesting character in the film who pretty much expresses my thoughts - and probably the thoughts of many others not privy to the intimate feelings of those who observe the guidelines of traditional religions. The character is Principal Jacoby. She cannot understand why these two smart young women would harness themselves to traditions that are so far removed from modern society and liberated women. Unfortunately, Jacoby's thoughts are expressed in a less-than-cordial way - shocking but with a comic touch.

An ironic twist to this film for me comes from a recent conversation with my brother. He's not as avid a television drama watcher as myself and was saying to me recently that he hadn't watched much on television lately, but when he did, it seemed that it was usually some program from the Law and Order stable of shows. After I had watched Arranged, I happened across a Law and Order repeat in which the actress who played Rochel was featured. I had already recognized the actress who plays Principal Jacoby as a repeating character on the series, so I decided to do some research. Of the fourteen leading actors in Arranged, nine have appeared in some form of Law and Order, and some have played repeating characters. One of the major reasons that the Law and Order programs have been continuing successes is the quality of the acting. That quality extends to Arranged.

Principal Jacoby is played by Marcia Jean Kurtz whose most memorable Law and Order role was that of Carla Lowenstein - first played in 1990 and reprised in 2004. She played the emotionally abused wife of a noted doctor who abused and murdered his child. I cannot remember the names of the "ripped from the headlines" real doctor and wife, but Kurtz's performance was shocking and unforgettable. In Arranged, she shows her considerable range.

Rochel is played by Zoe Lister Jones who gives us a woman who is outwardly shy but in possession of keen insight and an independent spirit to be truly admired. She is a beautiful and highly competent actor.

Francis Benhamou (not a Law and Order alum) plays Nasira as a woman bound to tradition but with a spark and wit not to be dimmed by obstacles that arise. She is a delight to watch in this role.

The DVD is distributed by Film Movement (filmmovement.com). If you are interested in independent films, you might wish to check them out. I have not always enjoyed the selections of this group but one thing I can say is that all of their films are certainly interesting.

Many people feel is that you cannot take seriously a movie with a happy ending because life in general does not have a happy ending. I generally tend to agree that most lives do not have happy endings but there's nothing that says we cannot enjoy the thought. Arranged certainly gives you that enjoyment.

Masterclass in bad everything

[GabrielDertzer · 2/10 · 29 March 2015]

This comedy/drama/romance is neither funny, dramatic, nor romantic.

The acting is wooden and amateurish, the cinematography is no better than a home movie, the editing is embarrassing, and the directing is appalling. Did I mention how awful the acting is? It's bad, really bad. It's impossible to feel any affinity for any of the characters and so difficult to care what happens in the film or to the individuals.

The script is constructed entirely of clichéd language and set pieces that make the whole movie feel disjointed and clunky. It alludes to providing insight into the age-old relationship between Jews and Muslims but doesn't expose or inform in any way.

Above all of this, the major failure is the soundtrack which is so irritating that, if you watch this film at all, you should turn the sound off and watch with subtitles.

Pleasant Surprise

[thejimhale · 10/10 · 23 May 2008]

I downloaded this from netflix wondering if it was any good. Wow is all I can say. The chemistry between the girls is incredible. It was a very believable relationship and the tribulations both go through seemed very genuine. This is a very uplifting film on many levels e.g. the relationships with the school children, the families, the suitors. I have to say that the Orthodox Jewish girl was an incredible actress, emoting intelligence and beauty. The Orthodox Muslim girl also came off as radiating happiness and intelligence. I would hope that this film gets more publicity and sets off a spark of amity between Jews and Muslims.

Very nice film

[cl777 · 8/10 · 21 February 2010]

A fellow blog reader suggested that I watch "Arranged" (2007). It is a very nice film that I definitely recommend as well.

Arranged is about the friendship between two women- one an Orthodox Jewish school teacher and the other a Muslim one. The acting was very strong and credible and the story absorbing as the womens' relationship develops against all odds. They find similarities in their situations despite great cultural and religious divides and solace in the fact that their parents are trying to arrange marriages for both of them with candidates who as the name implies, they cannot choose.

The actresses who portray Rochel and Nosira are beautiful inside and out and made this film a true pleasure to watch. The ending was uplifting and charming; the movie all around very enjoyable.

My rating: 8 For more reviews please read http://paulinasmovies.blogspot.com