SPOILER: I was able to watch this on Netflix streaming movies. For me, a Roman Catholic raised in the deep south and with zero knowledge of the ways and lives of New York Hasidic Jews, it was a pleasure to get a glimpse of a vastly different lifestyle and system of beliefs.
Jesse Eisenberg, who was so good in 'Social Network', is really good here. His character, Sam Gold, is 20, and the family expectations are that he will continue his studies and become a Rabbi. As the movie begins he works with his father in fine garment materials, and is meeting the girl he is being arranged to marry.
But things take a very quick change when another Jew, a bit older and a bit more worldly, asks if he would like to take a trip to Europe and make $1000. Sam asks the questions, is assured nothing funny is going on. But as we soon find out they are smuggling Ectasy in from Amsterdam, using the young Hasidic Jews as mules, not raising any suspicion at customs.
This is the coming of age of Sam, but in a very dangerous manner. The closing credits explain how they were caught and what prison time they served, but the very ending credits say the characters and situations are fiction, so I'm not sure what to believe. Still, a good movie. Also interesting that Eisenberg's real younger sister plays Sam's younger sister in the movie.
Jesse Eisenberg, who was so good in 'Social Network', is really good here. His character, Sam Gold, is 20, and the family expectations are that he will continue his studies and become a Rabbi. As the movie begins he works with his father in fine garment materials, and is meeting the girl he is being arranged to marry.
But things take a very quick change when another Jew, a bit older and a bit more worldly, asks if he would like to take a trip to Europe and make $1000. Sam asks the questions, is assured nothing funny is going on. But as we soon find out they are smuggling Ectasy in from Amsterdam, using the young Hasidic Jews as mules, not raising any suspicion at customs.
This is the coming of age of Sam, but in a very dangerous manner. The closing credits explain how they were caught and what prison time they served, but the very ending credits say the characters and situations are fiction, so I'm not sure what to believe. Still, a good movie. Also interesting that Eisenberg's real younger sister plays Sam's younger sister in the movie.