Jewtopia (2013)

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Why I am even bothering typing this? You know it was bad, I know it was bad so why not end it here? I mean commenting on something which is obviously no-good trash that in an ideal world would not be paid a single picosecond of attention to must almost certainly constitute a form of masochism or something. Now would be the time to insert an edgy "joke" here about this fakakta flick being the ultimate proof that God doesn't exist but I digress.I was expecting a decent low-key second hand comedy like "Oy Vey My Son Is Gay!!" (2009) but this was, to put it mildly, way worse and there were no Bruce Vilanch's humongous shoulders to carry the burden of comedy on and no redeeming last moments like the affectionate post-wedding scene in "Oy Vey," instead it was just overwhelmingly offensive to everyone and everything, even to itself but true, offensiveness of a work shouldn't be the only factor in down-voting it. For comparison, writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone just revel in offensiveness yet the end result of their seemingly sophomoric work looks way different thanks to satirical tools they successfully employ, like take South Park episode "Ginger Cow", for instance. It took a jab at religion but it was pertinent, pithy, not to mention witty and it run only 20 minutes, which means watching that instead would save you about 70 minutes that you could otherwise spend on ... yoga, learning a new language, attending a secret fight club meeting or whatever IMDb-ers typically like to do in their spare time (probably comment on bad movies on weekends).Perhaps it should be said that there isn't much material this movie can work with as it is a rehash of the same thing we have seen over and over again* except the names have been replaced with Jewish ones and as if to compensate for a lack of humor perverse obsession with embarrassing faux pas was cranked up to 11 and that's Jewtopia, also known as "Christian hell," enjoy your stay. Maybe to spend time less hopelessly, check out "Oy Vey My Son Is Gay" which to me seemed more authentic and cheerful as far as Jew/gentile weddings are concerned and the British 2010 movie "The Infidel" for an actually funny inter-faith clash (Judaism/Islam).*(probably tracing back to Shakespeare and beyond, boy I can just picture "Shlomio and Mary-Jane-Destiny-Hopette," a tragic story about a simple Southern gal falling in love with a simple Yeshiva boy from Crown Heights, New York and their families not approving of the bond as usual and how even this ad hoc story, although a shameless carbon copy of a classic, would still be more watchable than Jewtopia)

Self deprecating humor can be funny. Poking fun at your ethnicity's stereotypes can make you smile if done with affection and talent. I figured the large cast of well known actors meant this would be a good attempt at such screenplay. I guess I was expecting a Jewish "My big fat Greek wedding". Boy was I wrong.What a stinker. Poorly written, poorly directed, over the top writing and, with a few exceptions, over the top acting make this little more than a string of Jewish (and Christian) family caricatures. It feels amateurish. To be clear, when I call this offensive, I'm not referring to the insulting ethnic stereotypes and jokes. I mean the movie was an offensive to me as the audience. Half way through all I could think of was "how did they get this many people to lend their reputations to this poorly written, over-acted, poorly cast, sophomoric attempt at humor?" Jack-ass and Bad Grandpa meets It's a mad mad mad mad world - with worse acting.By the end it felt like I watched a "film" made by a bunch of drunk/stoned twenty- somethings with a camera who think themselves insanely funny and talented the louder and more obnoxious they act. Too bad I watched it sober.

To be honest, I wasn't all fired up to go see a screening of Jewtopia. I'm not Jewish and figured it would be all about religion. Then I read that Peter Stormare was in it -- the same Peter Stormare from my two favorite films of all time - Big Lebowski and Fargo - so it became an automatic that I had to check it out. Stormare plays Buck O'Connell a red neck Marine colonel who is so wacky and off the wall that you simply can't help but laugh. To me he is one of the funniest and most under rated comedic actors ever. On the whole, the movie had many many laughs. Jamie Lynn Sigler is another breathe of comedic gold... I'm a huge Sopranos fan but never realized that she could be utterly funny. While this movie doesn't compare to The Big Lebowski, anyone who likes a fast pace comedy with some truly funny moments will really like this movie I think. I'm not sure why the name is Jewtopia is the movie is very universal.

Saw the film in Newport Beach on April 26th - was told it was the World Premiere. I didn't know what I was in for and wasn't aware that Jewtopia had been a play. I was so pleasantly surprised. The cast is really great and I have a girl crush on Jennifer Love Hewitt who is so hot in the movie...and Ivan Sergei. There's also Jon Lovitz who I forgot how brilliantly funny he was - so many one liners that had me laughing. The story felt a tiny bit scattered at times but the pacing was so fast and furious that I never had a moment to catch my breathe...which I liked. There are some truly outrageously funny moments and also some really sweet ones. I was there with my boyfriend who took me as a night on the town and he really enjoyed Jewtopia too. I recommend it.