Silly as the rest but still watchable if you like GOOFY. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 11/14/2020

As "The Women's Balcony" (2016 release from Israel; 96 min.) opens, we see a group of people gathering at an Orthodox synagogue, to celebrate a Bar Mitzvah. The women participate from the synagogue's balcony, and the unthinkable happens: the balcony crashes, causing a major injury to the Rabbi's wife and causing the Rabbi to hole up in his house. The congregation needs an interim house of prayer and Rabbi. By happenstance, Rabbi David, an ultra-Orthodox, offers his services and the congregation eagerly accepts. However, it's not long before major tensions arise between Rabbi David and the synagogue's women. At this point we're 15 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: there have been quite a few movies that have examined the ultra-Orthodox communities, both here in the US and in Israel. However, this movie takes a different approach and examines the tensions between an Orthodox congregation and an ultra-Orthodox rabbi. However, it is done in a respectful way, and with the necessary wink and a smile. That said, I would not categorize this movie as a "comedy" as IMDb is doing. Once the movie's premise is fully made clear, it's a fairly predictable road from there to how it all plays out, but that didn't stop me from enjoying these characters. Israeli actor Aviv Alush brings his role as Rabbi David with authority. The photography (entirely in Jerusalem) is very pleasing tot the eye.

"The Women's Balcony" opened recently at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Sunday matinée screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great. If you are in the mood for a decent foreign movie that looks at tensions between the Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox, you could do worse than checking out "The Wedding Balcony", be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.

The Israeli film Ismach Hatani was shown in the U.S. with the title The Women's Balcony (2016). The director was Emil Ben-Shimon. The movie begins with the collapse of the women's balcony in an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Jerusalem. The rabbi's wife suffers head trauma and becomes comatose. The rabbi, although physically not injured, develops what is probably PTSD.

A new, young, charismatic rabbi appears to help the congregants rebuild their synagogue. Rabbi David, portrayed by Avraham Aviv Alush, is a natural leader. That, indeed, becomes the problem. Rabbi David convinces the men of the synagogue to rebuild the structure, but without a women's balcony.

A non-Orthodox Jew in the U.S. might think that this is a good thing. Why do the women need their own space? Why not just mix with the men? The reason is that--in this context--mixing with the men is unthinkable. So the women would be segregated in a small room, still away from the men, but unable to directly observe the rabbi and the male members of the congregation.

The plot really begins at this point. Do the women get their balcony, and, if so, how do they do it?

I enjoyed this film because it was well acted, well photographed, and well directed. It also gave me a glimpse into a culture that is very different from my own. This movie is one of many outstanding films shown at the remarkable Rochester International Jewish Film Festival. We watched it at the excellent Dryden Theatre, in the George Eastman Museum. It will also work well on the small screen.

Note that this film has an anemic IMDb rating of 6.8. It's better than that, and deserves your attention.