Drama based on factual event
USA
English language, with minimal subtitles
Sat., May 22, 9:30 p.m. — Pacific Place Cinema
Sun., May 23, 4 p.m. — Pacific Place Cinema
Rating: Average
In the late 1990s a story broke about the arrest of a group of Chassidic Jews who had been recruited to serve as smugglers of the drug Ecstasy into the United States from Europe because of their unsuspecting appearance. These factual events are the basis for this film’s plot centering on Sammy Gold (Jesse Eisenberg), a 20- year-old working-class Brooklyn Chassid who assists his father in the family fabric store, is studying to become a rabbi, and is enamored with and hopes to enter into an arranged marriage with the oldest daughter of a wealthy family.
Yet Sam is torn between the expectation that he become a rabbi, which he is unsure about, and his increasing realization that his struggling working-class upbringing may be a hindrance to the future he dreams of. Then he is approached by his next door neighbor to help in earning some extra money by “importing medicine for sick people” from Europe. Soon he finds himself in a sleazy hotel in Amsterdam waiting to get the medicine to bring back to the U.S., for which he will be well paid.
Initially stunned and reluctant when he learns the truth of what he has immersed himself in, as the film progresses Sam finds himself finally acquiring unimaginable sums of cash to spend, while compromising his values and beliefs. A bright young man, he rises up within this small criminal smuggling enterprise by showing his ability to negotiate and recruit other Chassids to ferry the drugs. Of course, things slowly careen out of control as he becomes estranged from his family, fearful of his friend and partner, who has been skimming profits from the drugs, and leads to the inevitable collapse of the game.
While the production values are solid and the performances of the cast are excellent, this film never really rises to greatness. This common plot has been made into countless films, and while the Chassidic take on a young man coming of age, questioning and having his values challenged to the limit, breaking out of familiar territory, and eventually reaching a reckoning, there is really nothing new or unique to this movie other than this particular religious perspective.
It’s a worthwhile effort by the cast and crew, entirely absorbing the audience as a work of cinema. Nonetheless, it goes nowhere a sophisticated film viewer has never been to provide any new or unique perspectives or insights of the human condition. A lot more could have been done with the plot and screenplay as well as the fine performances by this cast.