Review of Late Marriage (2001) by Noel K — 22 May 2009

"Late Marriage" is a Hebrew-language movie directed and written by Dover Kosashvilli. It focuses on Georgian Jewish immigrants in Israel who are still bound by old world traditions and where the young generation is still very much at the mercy of the older generation, especially in matters pertaining to marriage. Zaza [ Lior Ashkenazi] is a 31-year-old graduate student working towards his doctorate in philosophy. His parents are eager to see him married and worried that he will choose an unsuitable bride. So Zaza reluctantly goes along with their matchmaking efforts, whilst concealing the fact that he is in fact involved in a long-term affair with a divorced, single mom Judith [Ronit Elkabetz].

Soon enough, things reach crisis point when his parents find out about Judith and rope in their close relatives to help them intervene and put a stop to the affair. The scene where they confront Judith is remarkable in revealing the true nature of some of the main characters. Ultimately, the question is: will Zaza stand up for his rights and protect the woman he truly loves, or will he meekly adhere to his parents' wishes?

The acting was excellent all-round and truly portrayed how some traditional societies are still deeply mired in cultural practices that can be deemed rather out of date by contemporary standards. I could empathize with the situation because I myself had to endure similar intrusions in my personal life by 'well-meaning' relatives before ultimately marrying a man of my own choice. This story may seem a bit shocking to those who haven't experienced such heavy-handed interference in their lives, but I have to say that such things as matchmaking, and arranged marriages are not uncommon in very traditional societies [not just confined to Georgian Jews, but others such as conservative Indians etc]. For some such arranged marriages actually work out well, but many others still prefer to choose their own life partners.

The actor portraying Zaza [Lior Ashkenazi] is convincing in his role as the amorous yet weak-willed lover, and Ronit Elkabetz is amazing as the much maligned Judith who displays remarkable courage and conviction towards the end. The chemistry between the two leads are credible and the sex scenes are quite graphic [both male and female nudity are portrayed] but I guess these scenes sort of serve to establish the immense sexual connection between the pair, though some parts just felt rather overdone to me.

All in all, I felt this was a rather refreshing movie with its less commonly explored theme of arranged marriage, and it provides remarkable insights into a culture I was previously unfamiliar with.