Touches You

Just perfect...

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Unfunny comedy that had no bite nor perspective. A waste of time and film stock, who thought this thing was worth distributing? Why was this junk even made? The plot revolves around a young Jewish boy who is about to go through his bar mitzvah. Just about every cliché and caricature is utilized to slap this thing together because the plot is so ridiculous and unbelievable that it makes me wonder if anyone read the script prior to filming. Not worth your time, cutting your toenails would be far more satisfying. This was the last film that Mike Eisner picked up for Disney prior to his leaving. Now I can see why he was let go, his mind must have been on vacation when he agreed to spend money on this thing...

This film was evenly balanced in my opinion. Going in, I set my expectations very low. And, for the first half hour or so of the movie, my expectations were met. Most of the first half hour of the film is boring and not very funny, mostly low brow gags, especially Garry Marshall's nude scene. However, after the first half hour of the film, it started getting better. The film became funnier and I actually started becoming interested in the characters, particularly the kid. However, at that point, I still hated Garry Marshall's character for his ideologies. Then, during the film's last half hour, the film becomes really funny. I still didn't like Garry Marshall's character too much, but I liked the maturity that the kid gained and I even started warming up to characters I initially hated, Garry Marshall being the exception to that. If you can put up with a half hour of blandness for an hour of decent comedy or are interested in learning a bit more about the Jewish culture, then give it a watch on Netflix. If not, just skip to the Bar Mitzfah scene at the end.

The idea of young boy arriving at the age where he is considered a man is celebrated traditionally by Jews. In this age of consumerism, most 13 year old boys are given lavish feasts in which expense seems to be no object by parents that have the means to do so. The feasts evidently must have a theme. When we first meet the people in this mildly funny movie, they are in the middle of a bar mitzvah with a Titanic theme. We watch as the young boy arrives in a replica of a ship posing as Leonardo DeCaprio and even colliding with an iceberg. This party cost about half a million dollars to Arnie Stein, a Hollywood type that can well afford it.As Benjamin's own bar mitzvah approaches, his parents, Adam and Joanne Fiedler must make a decision about how big a party they want, and what theme will their son choose. Benjamin, who appears more grounded than his Hollywood agent's father, only wants to have his paternal grandfather, a person he has never met, at the party. Benjamin plays a trick by sending Irwin Fidler an invitation with a date of two weeks before the actual event. Little prepares him for the character his grandfather turns out to be.Irwin, who left his family when Adam at a young age, comes to town with his New Age-type girlfriend, who goes by the name of Saved Feather, to stay at his son's mansion. This brings back bad emotions Adam has kept bottled inside him. He can't forgive his father for what he, and his mother Rose, had to endure. The old man is a changed man and his love for his newly found family serves to get Adam's forgiveness.Scott Marshall, the director, who is the son of Garry Marshall, follows in his own father's foot steps and finds his way into this ethnic comedy that shows how people must compete with one another to show who is the one giving the best and most elaborate party, something that probably the children feel too overwhelmed, as it's the case with Benjamin. The film points out to basic problems in our society in which we must outdo our friends, and even our own family, in order to prove we are superior, or just to prove we have more money than they.Garry Marshall steals the show with his Irwin. Mr. Marshall knows comedy well and knows what buttons to press to put the audience in his pockets. Doris Roberts is tremendously appealing as Rose, the wife that has had to endure a lot after Irwin left her. Jeremy Piven and Jamie Gertz are perfect as the parents facing a dilemma about to go broke in order to keep up with the Steins. Daryl Sabara is an excellent actor who shows he knows what he is doing. Daryl Hannah has some good moments as the evolved New Ager. Larry Miller and Richard Benjamin are seen in supporting roles.Much has been said about this comedy as far as being targeted to Jews, but in our experience, not being Jewish, we found it speaks a universal language and people of other backgrounds will enjoy it as well.

I actually watched this movie on a plane flight. So? you may be asking yourself "What's the big deal about that?" Well this flight was on an Arab plane! I was flying on Gulf Air from London to Kuwait, and the flight was pretty full (aren't they all nowadays?). And they had just shown X Men 3 (its a 6 hour flight) and up pops the Jewish kid talking about his Bar Mitzvah, MAN! I started looking around to see if anyone was like gonna freak out because this movie is unmistakably Jewish! Luckily no incidents involved and I got home to Kuwait safe. I just had to tell that story, to me if they can show a movie about Jews on an Arab flight there may be hope in the world after all. About the movie, I once converted to Reform Jewish to marry a Jewish girl when I was much younger, that didn't work out and I didn't keep up with it, but growing up with a lot of Jews in New York I did find it humorous at times. I would only see Reform Jews truly enjoying this movie because the characters don't strike me as very conservative. It's no American Pie because the kid is only 13 and its really not for kids, so this movie is really hard to like a whole lot, but I did watch it through because I was on a flight and I chuckled a little. All light weight in the end though, there was little resolution done with the Grandfather and the relationships he left behind (like his Wife).