My Mexican Shivah

Peeking into Jewish tradition with a Mexican background is not only amusing but it allows the viewer to enter a world that, although may exist next door to any one else living in Mexico City, remains shrouded in mystery for most. In the end I loved the fact that no matter how much the distinct customs of diverse faiths may differ from each other, there's something we all share as inhabitants of this great city which permeates it all and creates a common ground for all of us to exist (and cease existing) in some subtle unity. For any one interested in having a laugh and a peek into Jewish life in Mexico 'Morirse está en Hebreo' is a must along with 'Novia que te vea'.

A pretty decent little film. The movie examines the relationships of the members of a family in Mexico City that have gathered after the death of the patriarch of the family. The film doesn't focus as much on the deceased as on the family members. The characters and subplots were kept my attention as a whole, particularly the character of the grandson that had returned from Israel. The most interesting part of the film was learning about the customs and rituals of the Jewish faith when someone passes away. Overall a well paced film considering it mainly took place in a couple rooms in a house and unique in that I hadn't seen a Mexican film about the Jewish faith. Well done.

Consider the setting. We are in Mexico. A wildly popular Jewish thespian with a track record of infidelity falls flat dead at a party. In accordance with Jewish custom, the party revelers and his family "sit Shiva," a seven day period of mourning in which the deceased's loved ones cover all mirrors, adhere strictly to kosher dietary laws, and shun things like medical care. I won't say more than just that the fireworks begin when the mistress of the dead thespian arrives. Our primary focus is how the daughter and son of the deceased react to the "other woman," an attractive lady in her own right. The storyline is an inspired concept…but it falls as flat dead as the thespian. While it is a humorous way of introducing us to a unique ceremony in a unique setting---complete with a Mariachi band in the last segment---the whole film comes off as a mildly funny soap opera. Not in the league of MY BIG FAT Greek WEDDING, but may find a welcome niche audience. AfroPixFlix prods two lonely forks here…just enough to make sure this thing is dead.

I recognize it. Was stronger than me. Impossible to relax and enjoy a feature film including, without any credit at all, work from other people. We all know plots exist in a limited number but when a film comes as an exact copy of an other (subplots, situations and punch lines included) I expect the original to be quoted as a form of respect for other people's work, your audience's intelligence and some integrity. I would only save the music (that's original, for sure) written by Jacob Lieberman and beautifully executed by the remains of the Klezmatics.

The original movie, in case you want to give it a look is "Alles auf Zucker!", Dany Levy (Deutschland, 2004).