- Actors: Dafi Alferon, Noa Koler, Oded Leopold, Ronny Merhavi, Udi Persi
- Director: Rama Burshtein
- Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Region: Region 1
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: PG
- Studio: LIONSGATE
- DVD Release Date: September 5, 2017
- Run Time: 110 minutes
The structure of
The Wedding Plan aligns quite easily
with the romantic comedy genre, though there are larger and deeper themes
engrained within the premise and much of the dialogue. While this may not
always lend itself to the lighthearted laughs many expect from the genre, it
does infuse it with a heartfelt sincerity and a deep soulfulness rarely found
in formulaic narratives such as this. The story’s blend of melancholic despair
with optimistic hopefulness is more than just a response to the unique film
premise; within the numerous conversations about the protagonist’s situation is
a deeper examination of faith and the belief in something larger than oneself,
and the natural tendency to doubt and question throughout this journey.
At the center of
this exploration of faith is Michal (Noa Koler), a devout Orthodox Jew in her
mid-thirties with an urgent desire to be married. The struggles of single life
seem to be ending for Michal, until her fiancé calls off the engagement a month
before the wedding. Unwilling to alter her course, Michal puts her faith in God
to provide her a new groom before the month is up. Continuing to plan for the
ceremony without a man, Michal seeks out new prospects through a matchmaker.
While this unconventional approach and some of the unique prospects that she
meets provide humor for the film, the laughs are never at the expense of Michal
or her leap of faith. This allows a certain sincerity to penetrate the film,
guided by director Rama Burshtein’s carefully balanced tone and Koler’s
dedicated performance.
Although the
film is a precise balance between earnestness and humor found in the absurdity
of the scenario, Burshtein’s screenplay lacks the same focus. Koler is
endlessly believable and engaging, but the film sends her down a repetitious
path that feels needlessly cruel at times. It isn’t the pain of the endless
disappointments necessarily, but more the feeling that some of the situations
are contrived just to test the protagonist. Even this could be justified as
essential to achieve the catharsis of the final resolution, but too many of the
sequences of pain just feel redundant. Watching Michal go on multiple dates is
far from dull, because each man she interviews to be her husband has a distinct
personality, and each reaction to her goal is different, while the multiple
scenes of Michal explaining her reasoning to family and friends often feels
like the same conversation repeating itself.
The
conversations about Michal’s certainty may dominate portions of the film, but
the strength in the screenplay comes from her moments of doubt. It is not just
doubt that her plan will work, but a larger questioning about her own faith and
what it means that she lacks confidence in the plan she believes that God has
for her life. Like pulling at a loose thread, the questioning of this one act
of faith leads to the unraveling of all that Michal holds dear. This is a
subject and theme that is relatable to far more than those waiting on a spouse;
it can apply to any aspect of life where there is uncertainty and hope.
The deeper
themes are what elevate this film above the typical romantic comedy tropes, but
this is only possible due to Koler’s sincere performance. As intriguing as the
other characters in the film are, she remains the emotional center for
audiences to relate to. Often appearing irrational and emotionally unstable,
Michal represents the flawed but hopeful humanity in all of us. We root for
her, despite the unlikely situation she is hoping for, because it is impossible
not to see a bit of ourselves in her contradictions.
The DVD release
comes with a photo gallery as the only special feature.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 2/10
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