Late Wedding

"In the tradition of such recent comedic hits as My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Monsoon Wedding, comes this sexy, funny and revealing satire LATE MARRIAGE," or so proclaims the back the American DVD version of Dover Koshashvili's critically-praised Israeli film. Yet those in the mood for a lighthearted comedy about culture clashes (or, in the case of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, cultural stereotypes) would best go elsewhere, for Late Marriage is less concerned with the wacky antics of a group of tradition-minded relatives intervening in the marriage of a couple of lovestruck youngsters than in presenting a heartfelt examination of the dilemmas that face a generation torn between the old and the new. The film may contain some undeniably hilarious moments, but these scenes are ultimately overridden by the darker, sobering tone it assumes toward the end.

The protagonist of Late Marriage is Zaza (Lior Ashkenazi), a 31-year old doctoral student in philosophy who also happens to be the eldest male in a family that emigrated from Soviet Georgia to Tel Aviv. Having ferried their son around the to homes of nearly a hundred eligible young women, Zaza's parents and grandparents are rapidly growing exasperated at his refusal to pick a suitable mate and settle down.

After sparks fail to fly between Zaza and his latest potential bride-to-be, a 17-year old girl named Ilana, the family decides to take action, trailing Zaza in order to investigate the root of his restlessness. To their horror, they discover that Zaza is conducting a passionate affair with Judith (Ronit Elkabetz), a 34-year old divorcee with a six-year old daughter. In the family's eyes, Judith's age, marital status, and child automatically disqualify her as a proper mate, and they promptly set about breaking the happy couple up.

Yet unlike My Big Fat Greek Wedding or Monsoon Wedding, where traditional families come together to accept both the old and the new, Late Marriage presents a starker picture of a family frozen by fear and unwilling to take the necessary steps toward change. It also does not shy in presenting the heartbreak such rigid values can impose on the younger generation, and despite showing Zaza's unhappiness at the final outcome, it tacitly acknowledges his destructively passive role in shaping his own destiny.

The entire cast is terrific, especially Elkabetz in the role of Judith and Ashkenazi as the conflicted Zaza. Their love scene early in the film is remarkable in its naturalness, forgoing gratuitousness to instead establish the intimate physical and emotional bond shared by the couple. And in a vast departure from Hollywood sex scenes, this one serves to make the eventual heartbreak that befalls Zaza and Judith seem all the more real.

Unfortunately, the DVD only includes the original theatrical trailer, scene selections, and subtitles. Given the vast array of talent involved in the film as well as its subtle cultural commentary, a biography of the cast and crew would have been desirable.