Laavor et HaKir

"The Wedding Plan" (2016 release from Israel; 110 min>) brings the story of Michal, a young woman who happens to be an Orthodox Jew. As the movie opens, we see Michal consulting a fortune teller on what she needs to do to find a suitable man to marry, having tried for over a decade (we later learn she's had 123 dates over that span). In the very next scene, we see her with her fiancé (hurray!), who admits he doesn't love her (boo!). Michal is devastated. But in a whim, she decides to rent the wedding hall big enough to accommodate 200 people, and fix the wedding day on the 8th night of Hannukah, exactly 22 days later. She has a wedding hall, a wedding dress and not the only thing left is to find a groom. At this point we're less than 15 min. into the movie. Will Michal find her man? To tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the second feature-length movie from writer-director Rama Burshtein. A few years ago, she surprised us all with her debut film, the exquisite "Fill the Void", which also was set in the Orthodox-Jewish community in Jerusalem.and also dealing with the theme of marriage, but in a very different way. In a way, the movie could be called "The Misadventures of Dating in the Orthodox-Jewish Community", and there are some funny moments for sure, although I wouldn't call this movie an outright comedy. The movie is helped tremendously by the charming performance of Noa Kole as Michal. She appears in virtually every frame of the movie. The movie tends to lag a bit in the middle part, and probably could've benefited from some tighter editing and shortening its run by about 15 min. I was already in my mind ready to give this a 5/10 rating, but then we come to the movie's outstanding concluding 15 min. It is an emotional wallop which I did not see coming. That's all I will say about it (mustn't spoil!!).

"The Wedding Plan" opened recently at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati (same one where I saw "Fill the Void"). The Wednesday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended so-so (less than 10 people in the theater), I'm guessing the nice weather and being a weekday evening had to do with that. If you are in the mood for a foreign film that shines light on life in the Orthodox-Jewish community with mostly a light touch, I readily recommend you check out "The Wedding Plan", be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.

The movie centers around the decision of one Haredi (commonly called ultra-orthodox ) Israeli Jewish thirty-something woman's decision of if/when/whom to marry. She has been having trouble finding just the right person for herself, partly because of the men she has been meeting but partly because she is an unconventional woman in a number of ways. When her engagement is broken off , she has an unusual reaction which is the linchpin for the rest of the movie including an ending which may be surprising to some.

The movie was billed as a romantic comedy; there are indeed plenty of humorous moments, but I think it's real attraction is the issues it raises about the process of deciding to get married, what one is looking for and how it can be related to issues of faith. And although it involves the Haredi Jewish world, I think the insights and themes apply to other cultures as well , while at the same time the movie provides an entertaining window into the Haredi world.

The movie is very well directed and acted and went by quickly. Contraryto another review posted here, the audience I saw it clapped heartily at the end and lingered afterwards. Recommended.

The movie is very well done, but without a talent like Ms. Koler's, it would not be nearly as compelling, and compelling it is! It holds your interest from the opening scene to the last, and while some might consider it a chick flick, it certainly appealed to me.

What is love? What is marriage? Do faith and God fit in? Great questions, and while this movie may not answer them definitively, it certainly provides an entertaining way to ponder them.

The relationships she has with her women relatives and friends are uplifting...it's all good.

This movie had potential as the theme of marriage at a later stage is a prominent in the religious society in Israel. As for the acting, although Noa Kooler's was impressive in her performance, the movie's "beat" was kind of monotonous, and it felt as if the actors were all subject to this depressing mood. Although there was some humor, the plot dragged along.

Felt like there were almost no twists and turns in the movie, and the standstill dialogue did not create motivation to continue watching.

Overall, a wonderful plot idea, some impressive acting, and mediocre execution.

Michal (Noa Koler) is single, Orthodox Jewish woman in her thirties and living in Jerusalem. Desperate in her desire to be married, she arranges a wedding with the intent that God will help her find a groom in time for the ceremony.

Indeed, the premise is odd but it might have worked if director/writer Rama Burshtein had taken the approach of a comical farce. As the comical moments are too few and a more serious approach is used, the film falls flat by the second half even though it's fairly enjoyable in the earlier segments.

Koler is certainly likeable in the role but her character is repeatedly and annoyingly self-defeating. After a while, I had a "Cher/Moonstruck" fantasy where I wanted to bring Cher's character into this movie and slap Michal hard in the face twice and shout "Snap out of it" and then disappear and go back to "Moonstruck". (I also had this fantasy while watching the excruciatingly long "Zodiac". In that scenario, Cher's slap victim would have been the Jake Gyllenhaal character.)

By the time the conclusion rolls around, it doesn't seem to matter whether or not it is plausible. The rest of the movie before it had already lost momentum. - dbamateurcritic.