iMordecai

Saw this as a preview in Boca Raton, FL on Nov 14, 2022.

The director made some very charming opening remarks, telling the story of how the film came to be, customer service at Cinemark was top quality with free popcorn and bottled water.

Then the movie began....

Judd Hirsch and Carol Kane need to tone down those accents as they were caricatured to the point of sometimes being unintelligible. At some point realism has to be sacrificed for the sake of the making the movie understandable. Hirsch's character also does some stuff that so contradicts what is established like leaving his wife alone for hours after he preaches the whole movie about his irresponsible son.

Some admittedly funny stuff was buried in an avalanche of sub-plots and other threads that went nowhere. (100 year old lady reminding us of Holocaust, a character with a shady past, fixing a broken shower, the put-upon next door neighbor, etc.) I assume they were supposed to be part of a larger statement but the director and editor just couldn't juggle these into a coherent whole and what should have been a simple, charming story bogs down in sit-com level dramatics and feel-good moments.

Except for Sean Astin (gained a lot of weight looking terrible in shirts that are too tight for his frame and an awful hairpiece) the acting is very amateurish: Stephanie J Block (Broadway star) is so flat and bored in her delivery you'd think she couldn't wait for her paycheck so she could leave, the young lady playing the leading role of Nina is so inexperienced she looks terrified in every scene.

The writer/director made it clear it was his first movie having had absolutely no experience in either shorts films or television...and it shows.

An amazing cast and story come together for a picture for all ages. Alzheimer's , the Holocaust and family relationships all meld together into a touching emotional tribute to getting old and staying young all at the same time . Beautifully set in Southern Florida the film and music only enhance this universal story. Judd Hirsch and Carol Kane play amazing off each other after all these years and Sean Astin along with the rest of the cast all add to this fun ride that ends perfectly. The story is based on a true story that circles around a Cigar Company and the detail the Director put into his Cigars is a mirror to the detail put into this film .

This is an absolutely wonderful movie. It is a deeply personal story that is emotional, fantastically warm and funny that should not be missed. It's the perfect balance of warmth and humor that makes you fall in love with all the characters.

Judd Hirsch gives an absolutely perfect performance in the title role- bringing Mordechi to life with an incredibly upllifting performance. So very well written and directed- with a talented cast of actors- this is a film that is smart, charming and tells a wise tale that no one should miss. We absolutely loved this film!! A perfect mix of laughter and charming emotion.

We learn a lot about ourselves from Mordechi and leave the theater with a new friend and perspective on life.

I found the movie funny and heartwarming. The writing are directing are very good for a first timer. The characters are well developed and the storyline compelling. I didn't find myself bored at any time during the film. That rarely happens.

Based on the plot, I was unsure whether my kids teenage kids would relate to it, but they enjoyed the movie as much as I did.

I'm recommending this movie and good solid entertainment that will make you laugh and cry. I think that people of all ages, as children, parents, and grandparents will find something to relate to. It also has a business aspect that I found particularly interesting.

I laughed and cried in the best of ways! Hollywood should take a page from Independent movies because indies have more passion in each frame than most other studio productions do in an entire franchise. Saw this at Saint Augustine Film Festival with my parents and everyone loved it! We were supposed to see something with Peter Dinklage in it but this was a very welcomed surprise. Made me think about my family a lot.

Not a lot of stories like these out there. This touches on a beautiful theme that it is never too late to find inspiration all while enjoying the shenanigans of Mordicai. Fantastic storytelling. Great Performances from Judd and Carol as the root of the movie. Lots of heartwarming moments.

P.s the editor for this worked on BIRDMAN??! No wonder it looked so good. Looks like A24 might have some competition if these film makers continue working together. Would love to see more work from these talented people.