Let me count the ways that I should not like this movie: 1. It is falsely advertised as a comedy. 2. It is about despair. 3. It starts out very slow. 4. It is subtitled. Despite all that, I enjoyed it! While not for everyone, it is hard not to feel Michal’s pain, and harder yet not to root for her. A different sort of movie, for sure!
After dating for 10 years (at age 32), Michal finally finds her man, only to have the wedding called off 30 days prior. Determined not to be alone for the rest of her life, and certain in her belief that God will provide her a husband, she keeps the wedding date and rents her new apartment. Everyone, including her rabbi, tells her that no one can know God’s plan, but she persists, even through a form of speed dating. The wedding invitation refers to “Mystery Groom.” As the wedding approaches, she seems to have two choices, the salt of the earth or the musician. Will either show up?
The lead character is played by Israeli actress Noa Koler. A Google search yields little information about her, but she is in every frame and gives as good a performance as Natalie Portman did in Jackie. You can feel her yearning, her desperation to find a husband. You can feel her humiliation as she rides to the wedding, still without a husband-to-be.
Given all the foregoing, how is this movie enjoyable? Faith. It may be stupid, blind faith, but the audience desperately wants her to live happily ever after. She puts so much into this wedding that it surely must have a happy ending? Do you believe?