Review of Menashe (2017) by Tvjerry — 29 Aug 2017
This film is unique because it was shot entirely in a Hasidic Jewish community in New York (often in secret) and is one of few films spoken in Yiddish. It revolves around the title character, a widower who's struggling to keep custody of his son despite the rule that a child must be raised by 2 parents.
He's also essentially a loser: not great at his job, often late, sometimes inept and with wrong attitude about turning his life around. The film is rich in observations of the rituals, customs and interactions of this often insular community.
However, it's light on narrative and more about incidents that seek to illuminate his situation. As an emotional story, there's not much here, but as a glimpse into a little-seen world, it's an interesting documentary.
This review of Menashe (2017) was written by Tvjerry on 29 Aug 2017.
Menashe has generally received positive reviews.
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