Ushpizin (2005)

Devout and delightful. That's a rare one-two punch for a feature film. Ushpizin pulls it off.

The film provides a valuable glimpse into the religious practices of ultra-Orthodox Jews living in Jerusalem. But it's also a cleverly plotted film, which, refreshingly, also features a few welcome comic elements.

The type of well-written and thoughtful family film that some may have been clamoring for since the hugely successful and hugely formulaic My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

has educational value, but it's the wrong kind

The film rests squarely on the backs of Rand and his wife, who snatches the spotlight from her professionally trained husband in her acting debut.

Sweet and satisfying.

At once alien and familiar: part Old World folk tale, part inspirational sitcom.

The award-winning Israeli film Ushpizin offers both an enlightening look at Orthodox Jewish life in Jerusalem, as well as a warm and witty tale of belief and miracles, for believers and non-believers alike.

Fervent without edging over into preachiness, the film examines the humor that can be found in the lives of the bushy-bearded, curly-sideburns set who live by a strict interpretation of the Torah.

Explores a world most of us know little or nothing about, and does it respectfully.