The Cakemaker

“The Cakemaker” is an Israeli film starring Sarah Adler and Tim Kalkhof. Written and directed by Ofir Raul Grazier the film’s locations are in Berlin and Jerusalem. This a story of love, religion and clashing cultures. Although the film is interesting, it is, in this viewer’s opinion, too slow. On the positive side, it details daily life in Israel and how important it is for those living there to adhere to certain orthodox rituals.  Unfortunately, the writer/director asks the audience to take certain leaps of faith and logic that I found hard to easily accept. I give the film 2 and ½ stars since its premise and the problems it poses are more universal in scope than limited simply to those living in Germany and/or Israel.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor” is a film documentary chronicling the life and career of one of the most beloved television personalities who ever appeared on the screen, Fred Rogers (aka “Mr. Rogers”). Morgan Neville, the documentarian and director of this film has captured the essence and purity of this beautiful man whose sole aim in life was to enhance and better the lives of the small children he was able to come in contact with via the medium of television.  His almost 2000 tv episodes sought not only to entertain but to help those in his young audience to understand the evils of bigotry, the heartbreak of divorce, the challenges of illness and the sadness of death, all topics previously unknown and untouched on children’s television shows. Ordained as a Presbyterian minister Mr. Rogers never preached to his flock but, instead, chose to communicate with them and, by doing so, achieved their love, affection and respect. More than that, Fred Rogers was off the screen the same person he was on it. He lived his every day life believing and espousing that we are all special and that what all of us really want in life is to love, be loved and to be worthy of that affection. I give this film 4 stars and answer the question in the film’s title in this manner: “Yes, Mr. Rogers, I would have loved to be your neighbor and, even more so, your friend.”

Three Identical Strangers

“Three Identical Strangers” is a documentary based on the true story of triplets separated at birth who, by some miracle of coincidence or divine providence, are reunited at 19 years of age. Directed by Tim Wardle, this a moving film and depicts and describes what motivated and caused their separation as well as the lives the 3 led prior to their learning that they were so directly related. What would seem, at first, to be a difficult story to tell, the film holds the interest of the audience as events unfold to make this story something that seems only a writer of fiction could conjure up. Yet,  as is so often the case, the truth here is stranger and more interesting than any literary talent could create or ask an audience to believe. I give this documentary 3 and ½ stars and urge all who can not to miss the opportunity to see it.