This Is Sodom (2010)

It seems I enjoyed this film more than did the other reviewers. I laughed out loud several time, something I don't do often at American films. Someone said there was no satire--but there was one really biting moment of political satire, when the angels brush off Hagar and Ishmael as Arabs who therefore do not deserve their attention. There are some clever in-jokes, though I may have missed much of the Israeli humor. Feminists have often commented on the fact that many Biblical women have no names. In the film, Lot refers to his wife as "Lot's wife." Abraham refuses to share a bowl of shellfish with God, who then gets even by banning it. I also liked the reference to the story of Solomon and the two mothers. Many people have cynically pointed out that the mother who tell Solomon not to kill the child could have fooled Solomon by reverse psychology. Here. Lot knows the story and gives the "right" answer, but it backfires. In short, what I liked best is that the film pokes fun at the Biblical story but is directed at an audience well versed in Bible. I've often said that the Bible is too great a book to be monopolized by the pious. I thought the funniest scenes were those involving God and Abraham. Behind the humor we can sense the real questions theologians have raised about God's call to Abraham.

To Harry: Maybe it was funnier for me, stuck here in the Chicago diaspora without knowing anything about the TV version. I truly enjoyed all the silly stuff for its own sake, & for the rest of the day, every time I snuggled up to hubby & sang the sugar-sweet "Ha Echad," we both cracked up.Dov Navon and Tal Friedman (who were so funny together in "The Schwartz Dynasty") have wonderful chemistry again as "Mr and Mrs Lot;" sad-sack Navon providing the perfect counter-weight as Friedman flies ever-higher over the top. You're probably right in suggesting that I missed some of the "local jokes," but I think anyone with a Jewish funny-bone will know more than enough.

Caught this Israeli Biblical spoof at the 25th Annual Israel Film Festival. It's in the tradition of Monty Python's farcical "Life of Brian" but here the focus is on an 'Old Testament' tale, the story of Lot. The story is filled with many anachronistic elements. We begin with God who is dressed like an insurance salesman carrying a briefcase which doubles as a TV monitor and a device capable of causing a nuclear -like explosion (the briefcase features an LCD timer, connoting the hours and minutes to Sodom's eventual destruction). God pays a visit to Abraham who he demands accept the offer to become the founder of the new one-God Jewish religion. Abraham bargains with God, insisting that he must save the city of Sodom's only righteous man, Lot. God sends two goofy motorcycle driving security agents to Sodom in order to extricate Lot before the city blows up.We meet Lot who's a lottery ticket vendor in the central marketplace. His goal is to sell enough tickets to open up a community center. The evil Mayor of Sodom wants to clear out all the vendors so he can have real estate developers build fancy condos at the location. When Lot is brought before the Mayor and he refuses to give up his booth, he pricks Lot's big toe and then 'tortures' him by dumping him continuously in salt water. Soon, the Mayor gets wind of God's plan and decides to switch places with Lot, hoping that when God's security people find him at Lot's house, he'll be the one who is saved when the city is destroyed.In the mix is Tal Friedman, a male actor who plays Lot's wife. She's a one joke character who wants to revive her singing career (we get to view snatches of her inept music video from her 'younger' days) and she's later set upon by Sodomites when she attempts to belt out the tune at her daughter's wedding to Prince Ninveh, the Mayor's lovestruck elder son. Ninveh's comic claim to fame is that he's lactose intolerant and he goes to great lengths to win the heart of Lot's daughter who is often seen singing mawkish Israeli pop tunes.I can't say that there are really any 'laugh out loud' moments in 'This is Sodom', but there are a few amusing bits. For example, God flips through TV shows on his briefcase, cuddled up next to a goat. One of the shows is an American Idol takeoff featuring a contest for Israel's top eunuch. Another amusing scene which features more black humor than straight out farce, is when Lot's wife attempts to select a 'human sacrifice' for her daughter's upcoming wedding. The store salesman tries to dissuade her from selecting various candidates, primarily because they either take too long or too short a time to burn to death. Lot's wife ends up selecting the God's newly imprisoned security people who are then escorted through the city encased in plastic wrap.Not all of the bits are that funny including one of the security guard's obsession in filming a documentary of their travails. In the end, 'This is Sodom' scores points not as much for the humor but its irreverence and generally being good-natured. Instead of God actually destroying Sodom, he merely causes a big fireworks display (although we're led to believe that a nuclear-like explosion has taken place). Even better is that our good guy hero Lot survives and becomes the permanent mayor of Sodom. The bad guy Mayor along with Lot's wife get to leave the city (before the mock explosion) and of course Lot's wife can't resist turning back and looking at the explosion despite being explicitly ordered not to by God. Instead of turning into a pillar of salt, a large rock formation breaks off and squishes her. The evil Mayor begs to be taken in at Abraham's door and the Patriarch tells him there's always room for more applicants in the tribe. The final exterior shot of Abraham's tent implies that the Mayor undergoes the pain of circumcision so that his wish not to be left alone in the desert, is fulfilled.The main object of 'This is Sodom's' satire is pop culture, exemplified by the TV shows and music video takeoffs interspersed throughout the narrative. Those who are enamored more with slapstick type farce and straight out black humor, 'This is Sodom' will probably be your thing. For those looking for a deeper satiric, political edge, you might come away a bit disappointed.

You know The Simpsons, so they made a movie. Was the movie better than the series? No way. This is the case here, but add lack of funds as a "bonus" and you receive a yawning experience. The movie cannot carry itself. It is just an expansion of a gag, usually no longer than 5 minutes. The movie was done for the summer, that is no shame, but it could have been written better. The main characters lack development, and the plot goes nowhere. But worst of all is the absolute lack of visual effects, so needed in a movie revolving around the destruction of Sodom. I say if you don't have the money to make the necessary visual effects, don't do the movie. Set it up in a place where there is no need for expensive effects. The foreign audience won't be able to watch this movie, because it is absolutely out of context for those unfamiliar with the TV series, which this movie is based on.The Israeli audience, such as myself, was allured to the theaters by the aggressive promotion and a high anticipation. Disappointment was the outcome, unfortunately.