Ushpizin (2005)
92%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 7 nominations
Ushpizin offers a rare and warmly intimate look into ultra-Orthodox Jewish culture.
Ushpizin is like a modern-day fairy tale, but with ultra-Orthodox Jews instead of princesses and dragons. It’s a heartwarming story about faith, devotion, and the power of blessings. Even if you’re not religious, you’ll appreciate the humor and humanity of this film. Plus, it’s always fun to learn about different cultures and traditions, especially when they involve unexpected delights like this movie. So grab some popcorn and settle in for a charming and uplifting cinematic experience.
Production Company(ies)
Sidus C J Entertainment, Muhan Investment
Distributor
Picturehouse
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
TV-MA
Year of Release
2005
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 31m
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Language(s):
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Country of origin:Israel
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 19, 2005 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 4, 2006
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Shuli Rand, Michal Bat-Sheva Rand, Shaul Mizrahi, Ilan Ganani, Rabbi Daniel Dayan, directed by Giddi Dar, written by Shuli Rand, comedy, drama, box office gross $1.4M, reviewed by Marc Savlov, Peter Howell, Rick Groen, Eleanor Ringel Cater, Amy Biancolli, Walter V Addiego, Yasser Medina, Jordan Hiller, Anton Bitel, Chelsea Bain, Jim Lane, PG rating, produced by Giddi Dar, Rafi Bukai, Gadi Levy, Shlomit Smadja
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Michal Bat-Sheva Rand – Malli Bellanga
Shaul Mizrahi – Eliyahu Scorpio
Ilan Ganani – Yossef
Rabbi Daniel Dayan – The Rabbi
Giddi Dar – Director
Director(s)
Giddi Dar
Writer(s)
Shuli Rand
Producer(s)
Giddi Dar, Rafi Bukai, Gadi Levy, Shlomit Smadja
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (63) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (59) | Rotten (4)
The film rests squarely on the backs of Rand and his wife, who snatches the spotlight from her professionally trained husband in her acting debut.
December 31, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
[The film] places a captivating life study in the context of a modern fairy tale.
December 2, 2005 | Rating: 3/4
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
Very light, even saccharine at times, but blessed with enough pure charm to make the syrup go down a treat.
December 2, 2005 | Rating: 3/4
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
An unexpected delight from an unlikely source, Ushpizin is the first feature film set inside the closed community of Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox Jews.
December 1, 2005 | Rating: B
Eleanor Ringel Cater
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
TOP CRITIC
It had me, this film with blessings on its mind.
November 28, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/4
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Ushpizin will certainly be manna to people of religious sensibility, but you need not be a believer to appreciate its humor and humanity.
November 23, 2005 | Rating: 3/4
Walter V. Addiego
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
It is a film with a very interesting cultural observation of the Jewish people. [Full review in Spanish]
August 5, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
An orthodox Jew will identify and thereby raise the level of the movie to something beyond the temporal film experience
October 2, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Jordan Hiller
Bangitout.com
Dryly funny and richly humane, Ushpizin marries biblical simplicity to secular banality to depict an everyday miracle of devotion rewarded.
June 15, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Anton Bitel
Film4
October 21, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/4
Chelsea Bain
Boston Herald
May 12, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
Ushpizin is engaging, entertaining and has something to say about us humans, through the prism of discovering %u2013 or re-discovering %u2013 the importance of faith, and the strength it can impart. Especially under duress.
February 18, 2006
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile…
Plot
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving November 2012, four boys in a red SUV pull into a gas station after spending time at the mall buying sneakers and talking to girls. With music blaring, one boy exits the car and enters the store, a quick stop for a soda and a pack of gum. A man and a woman pull up next to the boys in the station, making a stop for a bottle of wine. The woman enters the store and an argument breaks out when the driver of the second car asks the boys to turn the music down. 3 1/2 minutes and ten bullets later, one of the boys is dead. 3 1/2 MINUTES dissects the aftermath of this fatal encounter.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film stars real-life married couple Shuli Rand and Michal Bat-Sheva Rand.
Giddi-Dar.jpg
