This delightful comedy from Israel is about an overweight man who, in an effort to make peace with his size, takes up Sumo wrestling with some friends from his weight-loss meeting (definitely NOT 12-step inspired). Having garnered 13 nominations (everything) and 3 wins (actress, supporting actress, costumes) at the Israeli Academy Awards, it's been optioned by Harvey Weinstein for an American remake. The award winners, Levana Finkelstein and Irit Kaplan, play his mother and girlfriend respectively. Co-director co-writer Sharon Maymon (a slim man) describes coming up with the idea in this spoiler-free interview, and how he met co-director Erez Tadmor, who is also not, as former NPR commentator Daniel Pinkwater described himself to Tom and Ray Magliozzi, circumferentially challenged. All the acting is great, by Israelis previously unknown to me and one Japanese man, Togo Igawa (Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), The Last Samurai (2003), more), but the writing really sparkles, affording plenty of, you should forgive the expression, belly laughs.
The DVD release date hasn't yet been announced (I was lucky enough to see this at one of the many Jewish Film Festivals that have screened it). So just remember what babetteflix told you, and put it on your "Save" list on netflix. Then we can all compare the remake to the original.
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