To Dust

I love it for many reasons. From the acting to the humor. But, especially , for idea. Yes, a not very inspired used idea but real good if the experience of the lost of loved one is not so far by you. No doubts, the film could be better. But it is a decent one and the art to not be victim of cliches to not propose easy solutions is real meritorry. A clash between lives of two isolated men . And the fair end of this story of doubts, faith and friendship. Short, just good job.

When the R rating for this film declares disturbing images they're not kidding. The movie is a dark, absurd, and morbid comedy, as a Hasidic cantor (Geza Rohrig) becomes obsessed with trying to find out how long it will take his recently deceased wife's remains to decompose into dust so that her spirit can be free.

He will eventually team up with a reluctant community college science professor (Matthew Broderick) to try and get some answers. They will employ some highly bizarre and weird techniques to try and accomplish this.

I found most of the intended deadpan humor didn't quite work here, but as the film progressed I did find some of it darkly funny, like the scene with the security guard (Natalie E. Carter) at the Tennessee body farm.

Overall, after reading so many glowing reviews from pro critics I came away disappointed with this movie. It's not an easy watch for sure, but it also was unlike anything I can recall seeing on screen before.

This film is so morbid, literally. It is a sad to see that the man is so disturbed and stuck due to his wife's passing, but his morbid fascination with the morbid is just very disturbing. Be prepared if you really are going to watch this. It contains very very disturbing scenes.

Jewish or not...it doesn't matter. I'm Jewish, but not Hasidic. This grabbed me at the core as a human. Such a beautiful movie. I wish they ended it with more answers. Both Broderick and Rohrig did SUPERB jobs bringing their characters to light. If only they could do another movie together!!!

Would have gotten nine stars except the characterization of the C.C. prof was more comical than realistic, and any half way adequate collegiate anthropology or forensic taphonomy dept. or natural history museum could have given direction to questions of decomposition. Anyway, sort-of-science meets orthodox Jew (actually an Hasidic cantor) in this at times amusing, at times heartfelt devotion, journey & discovery of soulful death. The pig (other animals have also been time lapsed filmed) cycle of returning nutrients to the earth is a film classic which brings up the question of the effects of embalming chemicals & casket materials.