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'My One and Only' is a muddled look at Jewish mysticism - review

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Israeli film 'My One and Only' attempts to blend Jewish mysticism and Torah study with a mysterious directorial style, drawing comparisons to David Lynch.
  • The movie follows multiple storylines that dramatize mystical concepts, centering on a young wife who suspects her husband has been replaced by an imposter.
  • While featuring well-acted scenes and an intriguing plot, the film is considered a misfire for general audiences seeking entertainment, particularly due to a confusing role-switching device near the end.

The Israeli film 'My One and Only,' recently released in theaters, ambitiously seeks to intertwine Jewish mysticism and Torah study with the enigmatic style reminiscent of director David Lynch. The film aims to appeal particularly to those with an interest in Jewish holy books, promising a deeper engagement for such viewers.

For some, that description will be enough to get them to order a ticket, and the more you are interested in Jewish holy books, the more you will get out of this film.

— Hannah BrownDescribing the film's target audience and potential appeal.

However, for audiences seeking straightforward entertainment, the movie is described as a misfire. Despite containing numerous well-acted and well-written scenes, along with an intriguing central plotline, the film struggles to maintain coherence for a broader audience. It explores multiple stories, all of which, on some level, dramatize mystical concepts.

But for anyone who just wants to have fun at the movies, it’s a misfire.

— Hannah BrownSummarizing the film's shortcomings for a general audience.

The core narrative follows Shira, a young wife portrayed compellingly by Talya Bartfeld Diskin, who confides in her rabbi's wife, Miri, about her husband, Noam. Shira believes her husband has been replaced by an imposter who looks identical to him. Her suspicions stem from mundane marital issues: his indifference, forgetting errands, and lack of recall about past conversations.

Is Shira’s husband possessed, or is she simply imagining it?

— Hannah BrownPosing the central ambiguity of the film's main plot.

The film leaves viewers questioning whether Noam is genuinely possessed or if Shira is experiencing psychological distress, akin to the ambiguity in 'Rosemary's Baby.' The plot thickens with the detail that his dominant hand appears to have switched. While Miri's husband remains skeptical, quoting Jewish texts, Miri considers Shira seeking help from a psychiatrist who has become a mystic and performs exorcisms. The narrative further introduces Gaia, a secular woman interested in Jewish texts, and a waitress, Heli, caring for a potentially possessed mother. The review notes that the film falters significantly when the actresses playing Heli and Gaia suddenly switch roles, a device deemed more effective in theory than in practice.

Suddenly, and this is where the movie lost me and never got me back, the two actresses playing Heli and Gaia switch roles.

— Hannah BrownHighlighting a narrative device that detracted from the film.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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