Ushpizin - the Movie

I was recently lucky enough to view the Israeli movie sensation "USHPIZIN." A story of a poor, childless couple in Jerusalem who find themselves with a pair of runaway criminals as their univited holiday guests. I'm usually skeptical of all things artsy and frum such as Jewish novels, children's books, art, popular music etc... In addition to which I'm also quite skeptical of all things hyped so although I was excited about seeing this film I was quite prepared to be disapointed.
I'm pleased to say I really enjoyed this film from end to end.

This movie was smart and funny with a lot of heart. The plot was fairly simple and straightforward but still had enough action and surprises to keep you waiting and watching. The real life husband and wife who were the film's main characters seemed both realistic and sincere although their circumstances were quite extraordinary. The version I saw had English subtitles, but my husband and I were pleased to find that we didn't need them since the Hebrew dialog is fairly uncomplicated and actions definately speak louder than words. As a person who suffers from difficult, unwanted guests (most of whom are related to my husband) on a regular basis, I could really relate to this film- it gave me hope that not only do challenges lead to great things but that even the most difficult of guests eventually leave.