Rating: 
Summary: "Burn only for me."
Review: "Late Marriage" is the story of Zaza (Lior Ashkenazi), a 31 year old bachelor and doctoral student of Philosophy in Israel. His parents expect him to marry someone from the Georgian community. Marriages are arranged between families--"a nice boy" is sent to meet "a nice girl" and although there is some choice allowed--the choice extends only to the selection of the already pre-approved mates. And Zaza's parents are running out of patience with their son's reluctance to wed.Impatient for the grandchildren to start sprouting, and claiming that they are ashamed of their son, the parents present a united front (for once) and loading up any available relatives en masse, Zaza's family visits the family of a potential bride. The girl--both sultry and sullen--is immediately approved of by Zaza's family (Zaza's dad wants to seal the deal on the spot), and Zaza participates in a "get-to-know-each-other" session. But when the parents discover that Zaza has an ongoing relationship with Judith (Ronit Elkabetz) a 34 year old single mother and divorcee, they are prepared to go to whatever lengths are necessary to "persuade" Zaza to end the relationship they consider a fling. I had a rather difficult time at first relating to the entire arranged marriage idea and the parents' bullying insistence that Zaza should get to the marriage bed and start producing--after all, in Western culture, the approach to love and marriage is entirely different, but as the film wore on, I found myself becoming more interested in the characters and the pressures exerted upon the lovers by Zaza's parents and extended family members (Granny included). Ultimately, Zaza must choose either his parents, their financial support, and social acceptance or the woman he claims to love. Can Zaza announce his independence and individualism when the pressure is so intense and he is surrounded by men who have experienced love and desire only to turn back to their families' expectations and demands? I found it particularly intriguing that Zaza and Judith's relationship represents all the illicit relationships the other male members of the family indulged in, and Judith becomes the loathed object of the women's collective venom. This was an excellent film--the acting was superbly smooth, and this was a very interesting glimpse into a vastly different culture where marriages may be arranged, but issues such as duty, desire and love exist and present a struggle for the human heart--displacedhuman...
Rating: 
Summary: Don't send in your rsvp too early to this "Marriage"....
Review: ...if there's a chance of your seeing something else at your local movie theatre. Another "shot in the dark" trip to the neighborhood theatre turned up the Israeli movie "Late Marriage", which is about a 31-year-old unmarried doctoral student whose parents and extended family are desperate for him to settle down. To this end, we see at the outset their attempt to get him to marry a 17-year-old girl, whose chief attributes are prettiness and not being pregnant. Obviously, folks who never considered the problems such an age difference caused Lady Di and Prince Charles! But in their Georgian subculture, such age differences are not only to be expected, but preferred. They really hit the roof when they discover that their son is having a steamy relationship with a 34-year-old divorcee who has a young daughter, so much so that they take matters into their own collective hands. If what they do is really the kind of thing that goes on over there, then all I can say is, Wow! While "Late Marriage" might be interesting from a sociological point of view, cinematically for this American moviegoer, it's boring. Even more so than my recently reviewed "Mystic Masseur", the movie just stops cold and the credits roll. One gets the impression that one has just sampled a few days of these people's lives, and now it's time to leave. Stil, I feel that some sort of note of finality had to be inserted. This just looks, "Well, now's about as good a time as any to shut off the camera." Hence the low rating. No interest in revisiting this "Marriage" later at all.
Rating:
Summary: Don't send in your rsvp too early to this "Marriage"....
Review: ...if there's a chance of your seeing something else at your local movie theatre. Another "shot in the dark" trip to the neighborhood theatre turned up the Israeli movie "Late Marriage", which is about a 31-year-old unmarried doctoral student whose parents and extended family are desperate for him to settle down. To this end, we see at the outset their attempt to get him to marry a 17-year-old girl, whose chief attributes are prettiness and not being pregnant. Obviously, folks who never considered the problems such an age difference caused Lady Di and Prince Charles! But in their Georgian subculture, such age differences are not only to be expected, but preferred. They really hit the roof when they discover that their son is having a steamy relationship with a 34-year-old divorcee who has a young daughter, so much so that they take matters into their own collective hands. If what they do is really the kind of thing that goes on over there, then all I can say is, Wow! While "Late Marriage" might be interesting from a sociological point of view, cinematically for this American moviegoer, it's boring. Even more so than my recently reviewed "Mystic Masseur", the movie just stops cold and the credits roll. One gets the impression that one has just sampled a few days of these people's lives, and now it's time to leave. Stil, I feel that some sort of note of finality had to be inserted. This just looks, "Well, now's about as good a time as any to shut off the camera." Hence the low rating. No interest in revisiting this "Marriage" later at all.
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent, persuasive and true-to life
Review: By far the best Israeli movie I've seen, Late Marriage explores the difficulties one 30-something intellectual has in individuating from his tradition-bound Georgian (as in former Soviet Union) family, who are recent immigrants to Israel. The movie, which is in Hebrew and Georgian, presents a much subtler and more convincing portrayal of the conflict between tradition and westernization, and of the more specific issue of arranged marriages, than the very popular "Monsoon Wedding." Unlike "Monsoon Wedding," this is primarily a dark film with a powerful evocation of the grip of a reactionary family on an attractive and ostensibly mature man. The performances are uniformly terrific and there is a prolonged and explicit sex scene in the middle of the movie that is astonishing in its beauty and realism. The direction is unobtrusive and superb, with minimal camera movement and extremely long takes. Overall, "Late Marriage" doesn't really resemble most Israeli movies that I've seen - there's no reference whatsoever to the political situation, for example - and most closely resembles a quiet European art film from the 60s or 70s. A must-have for collectors of serious cinema for grown-ups.
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent, persuasive and true-to life
Review: By far the best Israeli movie I've seen, Late Marriage explores the difficulties one 30-something intellectual has in individuating from his tradition-bound Georgian (as in former Soviet Union) family, who are recent immigrants to Israel. The movie, which is in Hebrew and Georgian, presents a much subtler and more convincing portrayal of the conflict between tradition and westernization, and of the more specific issue of arranged marriages, than the very popular "Monsoon Wedding." Unlike "Monsoon Wedding," this is primarily a dark film with a powerful evocation of the grip of a reactionary family on an attractive and ostensibly mature man. The performances are uniformly terrific and there is a prolonged and explicit sex scene in the middle of the movie that is astonishing in its beauty and realism. The direction is unobtrusive and superb, with minimal camera movement and extremely long takes. Overall, "Late Marriage" doesn't really resemble most Israeli movies that I've seen - there's no reference whatsoever to the political situation, for example - and most closely resembles a quiet European art film from the 60s or 70s. A must-have for collectors of serious cinema for grown-ups.
Rating:
Summary: HONEST AND BEAUTIFUL.
Review: First of all, Bret Fetzer's review ...pretty well sums up my feelings about the movie. There's little I can add, except to ask, why don't American audiences appreciate sensitive films like "Late Marriage?" Are we so addicted to mindless fluff, senseless and gratuitous violence, and endless chase scenes that we can't appreciate stories that are true-to-life with characters involved in ordinary conflicts whose growth is revealed through literate dialogue? The answer, I believe, is obvious, based upon the popularity of TV "reality" shows. Reality??? I think not. "Late Marriage," however, IS reality. And, like real life, it doesn't offer us a tidy plot or satisfactory ending. Rather, the ending is open-ended, leaving us to wonder what will this marriage be like? Did Zaza really come to his senses, as his family believes, or will his marriage mirror those of his parents and other relatives? Is there happiness in his future, or will he go numbly through life making choices that meet with his family's approval? Frankly, I wanted a happy, "and they lived happily ever after" ending, but I'm grateful "Late Marriage" didn't go there. I would have felt short-changed, like I do after so many American films. PS. Yes, the sex scene is prolonged and erotic and very beautiful in its own way. If only American film makers would handle sex and sexuality with such grace. Wonderful film!
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Israeli Film!
Review: Follow your heart or do as society demands? An age old question explored with subtlety, humor, heart, and ultimately .....resignation. Beware of parental units! Fantastic movie. Sad ending.
Rating:
Summary: A modern tragedy and cautionary tale...Wow!
Review: Follow your heart or do as society demands? An age old question explored with subtlety, humor, heart, and ultimately .....resignation. Beware of parental units! Fantastic movie. Sad ending.
Rating:
Summary: INTERESTING!!!!
Review: I got this movie by mistake, but I have not regretted it at all.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Israeli Film!
Review: I took a chance and ordered this film not knowing too much about it. I was looking for some Israeli movies and lucked out. This movie was easy to follow (many foreign films with subtitles are not) and it was easy to follow the storyline. I'd recommend it only for adult viewers as the sexual content is high but a very honest and realistic look at modern life in Israel. Being single in Israel is more and more common and with the traditional as well as family values still as present as ever, Zaza makes it easy to sympathize with him. This is a great film if you're interested in getting a different look at modern Israel without the politics, fighting and religious aspect. The only thing that I would change is the ending. I would have liked more closure in the end, perhaps a more smooth transition to the final scene but that final scene was a very warm and wonderful way to experience Israeli culture, music and dancing. Watch it, you won't be disappointed.
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