Forbidden Tango

Years ago-- I'm not sure the word "crowdfunding" had been invented yet-- I saw a rough clip on the web with an actor playing a bearded Jew who is inspired to dance the tango and asks "Am I going meshuggah?" Yes, it's amateurish, the web message said, but we're just presenting the idea and we hope people will help us get the movie made. It's a stupid idea, I thought, and the representation of Jewish culture seems pretty flimsy.

And I forgot all about it till the finished movie popped up on TV all these years later. It's still a stupid idea, unfortunately, and the representation of Jewish culture still seems pretty flimsy. So many filmed stories about strongly Orthodox Jews suffer from the same problem-- they can't include your standard Hollywood interactions between men and women without veering way outside the realm of credibility. Nonetheless, while this movie may not deserve any first, second, or third prize, or honorable mention, it does deserve a special new award for getting a preposterous idea onto the screen against all odds. And even recruiting some respected actors.

Plenty of details about this title in other reviews so I won't repeat them here. Suffice to say that this is a charming comedy with a few well-chosen messages about tolerance and community. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can recommend it for all ages.

A truly bad film, with amateur acting, writing and directing. My husband and I are still in shock that this even made it to theaters. The storyline could have been decent, but there were many times where the characters' goofiness or poor acting got in the way. A better editing job could have fixed some of this.

If you look Massimo Zeri up on IMDB you will see he worked with Fellini, Mazursky, and Merchant Ivory! His lighting of the different houses of worship in Tango Shalom highlighted such diverse iconography, showing off how each culture is a world unto its own! The elements of wood, single-source lighting, and rich, old-world traditions in the synagogue, to the vibrant colors in the Sikh temple, to the gold patina in the mosque, to the kaleidoscopic light in the stain-glassed church, Mr. Zeri took us on a cinematic odyssey! A a blazing display of bravura!

Bravissimo!

A great family film that anyone can enjoy! It's a comedy yet still takes you on a religious/ faith journey that anyone can easily relate to. Must See!