They say that there are only six plots in existence; what makes a story captivating is how it’s told. Set in an unnamed chasidic community in Brooklyn, “Menashe” tells the tale of a man who isn’t quite the person he’d like to be, and who is forced to face himself through the eyes of his colleagues, boss, spiritual leader and child. It’s not a new story, but it is a new setting.
Specifically, “Menashe’s” unique selling point is that its story of a widower seeking custody of his child is told in Yiddish.
The opportunity to glimpse an insular community makes this film worthwhile — but that’s not all:
• Menashe’s story, based on the actor’s own life, is told respectfully and quietly. The director gives the viewers a lens into a culture, with all its idiosyncrasies and rules, without passing judgment.
• “Menashe” is a human story with characters whose motivations are relatable. Often, when a lens is turned on a distinct culture, the actions of its members are perceived as products of it. “Menashe” doesn’t do that.
• The language! Every dialect of Yiddish incorporates the lingua franca of its surroundings, and I loved hearing which bits of English make it into New York Yiddish.
If you didn’t see the movie when it was playing at the Landmark, another opportunity is coming up Saturday night at Alamo Drafthouse as part of the JAAMM festival. That it’s playing on West Colfax, in the heart of what was once Denver’s all Yiddish-speaking community, adds a dose of authenticity.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at [email protected]
Copyright © 2017 by the Intermountain Jewish News
