Meduzot (Jellyfish) (2008)
84%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 5 wins & 14 nominations
Jellyfish, a film that has been described as anything from mystic to lacking, is a true enigma. While some critics have praised its low-key humor and realistic portrayal of loneliness and alienation, others have found it to be a limp and disconnected mess. However, one thing is for sure: this film is not for the faint of heart. With its slow development and lack of clear direction, Jellyfish requires a certain level of patience and open-mindedness from its viewers. But for those willing to take the plunge, it offers a unique and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition. So, if you’re feeling adventurous and up for a challenge, give Jellyfish a try – who knows, you might just find yourself pleasantly surprised.
Jellyfish is like trying to catch a jellyfish with your bare hands – it’s slippery, elusive, and you’re not quite sure what to do with it once you’ve got it. But that’s part of the charm of this quirky film that explores loneliness and human connection in Tel Aviv. The characters are idiosyncratic and deadpan, and the situations they find themselves in are both funny and poignant. It may not be for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for something offbeat and thought-provoking, give Jellyfish a try. Just don’t expect to come away with a clear answer to what it’s all about – sometimes, like a jellyfish, it’s better to just enjoy the experience and let it wash over you.
Production Company(ies)
Live Entertainment, Dog Eat Dog Productions, Inc.,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Tel Aviv, Israel
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
Year of Release
2007
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):Hebrew, English, Tagalog, German
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 4, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 30, 2008
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Jellyfish, Drama, 1h 18m, starring Sarah Adler, Nikol Leidman, Gera Sandler, Noa Knoller, Ma-nenita De Latorre, Zharira Charifai, directed by Etgar Keret, Shira Geffen, written by Shira Geffen, genre Drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Fear, Hank Sartin, Marjorie Baumgarten, Bruce DeMara, Jason McBride, Richard Nilsen, James Vance, Dave White, Jon Frosch, Dan Jardine, Dennis Schwartz, Nora Lee Mandel, produced by Amir Harel, Ayelet Kait, Yael Fogiel, Laetitia Gonzalez, MPAA rating, Tel Aviv, Israel, wedding, catering crewmember, abandoned child, emigrated, honeymoon, unfortunate accident, magic realism, converging storylines, love, surrogate, language, gestures
Worldwide gross: $938,881
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,345,011
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,521
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 146,675
US/Canada gross: $341,221
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $488,822
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,331
US/Canada opening weekend: $25,352
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $36,318
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,303
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $1,800,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $2,578,622
Production budget ranking: 2,000
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,388,588
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$2,622,200
ROI to date (est.): -66%
ROI ranking: 1,786
Nikol Leidman – Girl from the sea
Gera Sandler – Michael
Noa Knoller – Keren
Ma-nenita De Latorre – Joy
Zharira Charifai – Malka
Director(s)
Etgar Keret, Shira Geffen
Writer(s)
Shira Geffen
Producer(s)
Amir Harel, Ayelet Kait, Yael Fogiel, Laetitia Gonzalez
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 14 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (62) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (54) | Rotten (8)
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
David Fear
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
There are sharply observed moments of social intercourse and a nice current of realistic honesty. But when I ask myself what it is that these women in the movie want, I come up with bubkes.
October 18, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Jellyfish, with its pervasive sense of mysticism, is anything but standard, predictable storytelling. What is it exactly? Well, you might as well ask a jellyfish.
August 8, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
Bruce DeMara
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
Thematically, it’s extremely precise, and one of its most compelling themes is the failure, or uselessness, of language.
August 8, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jason McBride
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Most of the first hour passes without much more forward motion than its namesake. But in the corners and niches of that slow development, we get to know a handful of people, crisply drawn in fast sketches.
June 5, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Richard Nilsen
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
Lacking the minimal jellyfish connective tissue required by even a quasi-anthology like this, the movie as a whole just lies there like the limp wet invertebrate for which it’s named.
February 6, 2018 | Rating: 2.5/4
James Vance
Tulsa World
April 4, 2011 | Rating: 4.5/5
Dave White
Movies.com
Keret and Geffen observe situations with such a low-key, spaced-out humor that moments in which their depressed characters finally reach for human connection sneak up on you with unexpected emotion.
September 11, 2010
Jon Frosch
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
This festival favourite has moments of promise but Jellyfish is lacking, has an unwillingness to completely contextualize the women in this contemporary setting
December 31, 2009 | Rating: 70/100
Dan Jardine
Cinemania
Explores modern-day loneliness and alienation in Tel Aviv.
October 5, 2009 | Rating: B
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
A large number of idiosyncratic and deadpan supporting characters provides amusement around dispirited women floating through sweetly satisfying meanderings.
December 14, 2008 | Rating: 7/10
Nora Lee Mandel
Film-Forward.com…
Plot
Meduzot (the Hebrew word for Jellyfish) tells the story of three very different Israeli women living in Tel Aviv whose intersecting stories weave an unlikely portrait of modern Israeli life. Batya, a catering waitress, takes in a young child apparently abandoned at a local beach. Batya is one of the servers at the wedding reception of Keren, a young bride who breaks her leg in trying to escape from a locked toilet stall, which ruins her chance at a romantic honeymoon in the Caribbean. One of the guests is Joy, a Philippine chore woman attending the event with her employer, and who doesn’t speak any Hebrew (she communicates mainly in English), and who is guilt-ridden after having left her young son behind in the Philippines.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No specific tidbit is given about the cast of Jellyfish on Fresh Kernels.
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