Late Marriage

Zaza (Ashkenazi) is 31, unwed, and in most respects a pretty typical modern Israeli. But everyone else in his family is a stickler for Georgian tradition, and his parents are forever trying to hitch him up to some nice young Jewish virgin. They introduce him to some beauties, too, but still Zaza's uninterested. Is it possible none of the girls appeals, or is he too shy? Or might he be keeping a secret from his doting folks? Most immediately impressive is the remarkably assured negotiation of some audacious shifts in tone the film starts as a deliciously deadpan comedy of embarrassed manners, suddenly turns uncommonly erotic for the second act, then takes an even more unexpected twist for an emotionally forceful, morally sophisticated finale. Superbly acted all round, expertly paced and surprisingly graphic in places, this witty, provocative film transcends its specific cultural context to mount a universally relevant exploration of different kinds of love and responsibility.