Brother's Shadow

There were a lot of good raw materials here, but the makers did not flesh out the characters or back story nearly enough to create a satisfying experience.

We got a taste of different appetizers that we thought might lead somewhere but they never did.

I understand that the father led a morally dubious life and was now dabbling in religion, but he never explains beyond one line.

Meanwhile the depiction of secular Jews' relationship with tradition was sadly accurate according to my experience. A sort of indifference or tacit mockery. One reviewer mentioned anti-Semitism. Probably relating to a scene involving gambling during a major religious service.

What was the original nature of the relationship between our lead character and the woman? Did she choose his brother because this guy left town, or had she already chosen him? What makes one person toe the line of respectability and one give in to his demons? More could have been said about that.

Why was the business struggling? Let's hear more about what it's like to run a small business in today's "Big Box" economy. Who were the laid off workers that used to work for the good brother? Were they trained carpenters, or learned from this family over many years?

What was good was the look and feel of the characters, the street, and the shop. I believed it. It was interesting to see a rugged, 6'1 alpha male as the Jewish lead coming home to Brooklyn. That's original. As was Judd Hirsch as a philanderer.

It was a nice, thoughtful little film, but missing the kind of core writing and insight that makes a nice film a memorable one.