59
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 85NPRElla TaylorNPRElla TaylorAccording to Hava Nagila: The Movie, an infectiously high-spirited new documentary by Roberta Grossman, the most cornball song in the Jewish repertoire has a colorful history that has carried Ashkenazi Jews through the joy and sorrow of 150 years of being thrown around the world.
- 80Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinIt's a fun, nostalgic, informative journey. Aided by vivid archival footage and photos, the movie charts the evolution of the song through the Holocaust, the birth of Israel and the modern Jewish Diaspora.
- 75McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreMcClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreRoberta Grossman’s cute documentary gives weight to the tune, tracing its lineage to a town – Sadagora, in the Ukraine – and the 19th century. It bubbled to life as a “Nigun,” a wordless hymn or prayer, more hummed than sung.
- 75Boston GlobeLoren KingBoston GlobeLoren KingHava Nagila (The Movie) guarantees that the next time you hear the song at a party, you won’t think of it quite the same way. Of course, that won’t slow anyone rushing to the dance floor.
- 75RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.comA slight, but very satisfying, and at times, surprisingly moving, documentary.
- 70The New York TimesRachel SaltzThe New York TimesRachel SaltzThe interviews are mostly good and instructive, but the well-chosen historical footage is better.
- 60New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanWhile the filmmakers never quite make the case that their chosen melody deserves its own full-length film, they do ensure that you’ll leave the theater happily humming it.
- 50New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeBy the movie’s end, the party guests may be ready to dance the hora — or they may find themselves sitting this one out. “Hava” will have its revenge, however: It’s still stuck in my head.
- 38Slant MagazineSlant MagazineThe documentary can at times feel like you're wasting your time on a subject you might wish you had only accidentally crossed paths with briefly on Wikipedia.
- 20Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonVillage VoiceMichael AtkinsonPatronizing from toe to chin, the film opts continually for self-congratulation and cheesy aphorism, and could've-should've been comfortable slotted into a half hour of airtime on TJC.