Reuniting the Rubins

Reuniting the Rubins places itself very much in Woody Allen territory, with one disaster after another striking Lenny Rubins as his unruly children and matriarchal mother reek havoc upon his travel plans. Yet all is resolved amidst much joviality and after numerous twists in which these endearing characters play out their various "missions" until, like a good tragic comedy, order and harmony are restored. Reuniting the Rubins is well written and beautifully observed slice of Jewish family life, and one doesn't have to be Jewish (I'm not) to appreciate the subtleties of character and the playfulness and fun that went into the making of this film.

This is definitely one of my favourites of the year - a good. classic comedy with stonkingly good performances particularly from Tim Spall who always was good at social comedy.

The plot has Jewish mother and Grandmother (a feisty Honor Blackman) wish to see her son's four children reunited for Pesach - Passover. Of course, they're not on talking terms with each other - one's a career fanatic, the other a Chasidic Rabbi, the third has rejected his roots and become a Buddhist monk, and finally, a daughter, who works in Africa and is intent on saving the world.

The only thing that was slightly off-kilter was the subplot about the mining and the display. Otherwise this is a terrific comedy with some real laughs, a few tears, and even some spirituality. Above all though, this is a very fine social comedy about family.

A fun film with good performances.

Possibly the worst movie I've ever wasted almost 2 hours of my life watching. It is clearly a film made for a Jewish audience (yes my family is too!) and I can't see any other people considering this as comedy!

I do not normally watch a film because of the cast members but this was one such occasion - what a mistake. Why would an actor like Tim Spall be associated with this garbage - money I suppose!

The whole concept is quite ludicrous, and Spall seems completely wrong for the part - his character is simply Tim Spall! Honor Blackman as an elderly Jewish mother is a little more plausible.

I think the director, Yoav Factor, might have done better with a Jewish cast but preferably a different topic altogether!

I absolutely loved this feel good, touching and heartwarming family comedy. I can't wait to see it again and own it on DVD! It is great to see a drama about Jewish family dynamics and culture, with many of the themes universal to all families. Timothy Spall, an outstanding British actor, gives a convincing performance, and he is well supported by the rest of the cast, who all portray diverse characters within the Rubins family. Perfect for a relaxed Sunday afternoon movie trip, this film will make you laugh and smile, and you may even shed a tear by the end. If you haven't seen it yet I would recommend it wholeheartedly. If you are not afraid of a bit of quality shmaltz and can embrace it then you will enjoy it.

The balance between characters and family dynamics is integrally shaped to reveal the struggles, hopes and aspirations of family life in modern times. A father sets out to engage his grown children only to find that time has moved on. Time has revealed a divergent set of character traits within the family, making reunion an interesting and feisty experience. A blend of subtle humor and underlying tensions invoke moments of joy and angst, persistently generic to family life. Unique characteristics of the Rubin families makes reunion though an interesting and captivating ride. The production colorfully mixes location and context with flow to ensure a coherent delivery of semantic meaning and purpose.