The welcome addition to the grand tradition of comedy capers proudly displays its Jewish heritage
Review
Bad Shabbos
Jewish International Film Festival
Oct 20 - Nov 26
Rating: ★★★★☆
Bad Shabbos does not reinvent the "family dinner gone wrong" film genre, however a combination of clever writing, gut-busting performances and an infusion of New York Jewish identity makes this a must-watch for fans of classic comedy capers.
The film revolves around a Shabbos dinner (a Jewish Friday-night tradition to welcome the Sabbath) hosted by the family of soon-to-be-wed David (Jon Bass). It is also the first time his family will meet the parents of Meg (Meghan Leathers), his fiancé and a recent Jewish convert.
In the classic comedic tradition, an unfortunate calamity sees the family scrambling to cover up any wrongdoing all the while settling existing family grievances. Think Meet the Parents meets Weekend at Bernie’s.
The film wears its Jewish context on its sleeve – its title is an inversion of the traditional greeting of "good Shabbos". There are the classic jokes about yarmulkes, hymns and the Torah, but the humour is broad enough to make sense to non-Jewish people, like me. And it celebrates the rich heritage of Jewish comedy that has shaped our cinematic landscape: from the Marx Brothers to Mel Brooks to Judd Apatow.
At the film's heart is a collection of flawed and outrageous characters that manufacture comic tension and bring out the themes of family and belonging.
Jon Bass and Meghan Leathers as the central couple provide sympathetic and likeable audience surrogates, trying to keep their respective families afloat while the world falls into chaos around them.
David Paymer is excellent as Richard, David’s amiable and pacifist father who provides some of the biggest laughs of the film; as does the Wu Tang Clan’s Method Man as the unpredictable and slightly mythical doorman Jordan.
The film also stars Emmy winner Kyra Sedgwick as David’s mother, who is restrained in a stereotypically neurotic and overprotective role. That said, while her engaging performance contrasts with that of her laissez-faire husband, her arc of learning to accept Meg is predictable and doesn’t leave Sedgwick much space to flex her dramatic muscles.
The chemistry between the actors, as well as some wonderfully written punchlines, drives the bouncy storyline; while not leaving much time for the audience to consider any logic inconsistencies (for instance, the argument for not immediately calling the police is pretty flimsy). And you’ll never laugh harder at the appearance of a challah.
Daniel Robbin’s direction and Matt Clegg’s cinematography make viewers intimately aware of the claustrophobia of the apartment, anchoring the characters’ panic within the tight hallways. That said, the cinematography and editing could, at times, do more to accentuate the absurdity of the script, which relies heavily on the strength of the performances. Clegg often sticks to basic scene framing, where more creative filming techniques could accentuate the emotions of the characters.
All in all, Bad Shabbos helps fill the lack of pure creative comedies that have been depressingly absent over the past decade. Priority has been given to adaptations and sequels deemed less of a risk due to their recognisability, or safe hybrids of comedies with other genres (such as action and drama), so it’s a joy to see a return to this type of film.
And while it sometimes errs towards cliché in its depiction of Jewish life in New York, the clever writing and strong performances create a witty and absurd feature that is sure to have audiences leaving the cinema laughing.
Bad Shabbos is showing as part of the Jewish International Film Festival, on at various venues across the country until December 21
