180 Degrees to Jerusalem (2005) User Reviews

Finally - a film that says that the emperor may actually be naked.

[plymouth72 · 10/10 · 9 November 2005]

I watched this film on Israeli Channel 10. I sat down thinking that this was going to be another "touchy feel-y" personal documentary where the filmmaker goes in cynical and comes out transformed - thanks to the magic spewn by the Kabbalah Center or some other New Age spiritual trip. But nope, I was wrong. The film was cynical from beginning to end. I'm not sure how he actually got this made, but hats off, he held the line from beginning to end (maybe no one told him that it's not politically correct to go against the machine). The comparison between the director's grandfather's "descent" from Jewish immigrant to successful New York businessman "living the life" to his Israeli friend's "ascent" from ex-patriot hustler to ultra- orthodox Jew was great (although slightly confusing). Best of all, though, was the usually untold story about how many Israelis get lost in the system, poverty and violence and look for meaning and answers in superficial spirituality (see Madonna-turned-Esther). I would guess that people either loved or hated this film, depending on how close the director's poking came to hitting home.