For all its echoes of Pulp Fiction and In Bruges, this romantic comedy about two goons converting to goodness is distinctly Israeli. Perhaps only in Israel can virtue and self-realization be planted in the pragmatism of well-meaning deception and cons. Having pretended goodness to perform their evil, our improbable heroes now play dishonesties to do good.
Steve and Chuma start out as a Good Thug/Bad Thug team of collectors for a boss that extorts protection money. They collaborate smoothly, though constantly bickering over matters like Steve's new shirt's stain - blood or pomegranate concentrate?
When they miraculously survive a terrorist bombing in Jerusalem Chuma takes that to be the first of a series of "signs," messages and directions from the beyond. So a jackass walks by at mention of their boss and Chuma tells himself that one white car will be followed by five more. There is order in the apparent chaos of our life.
Other signs fall from above, like a dead fish and a marble-like false eye. These apparent miracles have logical foundation. Steve pretends to another such an influence after he snips his abandoned son's hair to get a DNA test sample, then looks skyward to explain the motion.
They decide the signs direct them to quit the criminal business. They steal the boss's last payoffs and plan to start a fish kebab food truck in New York.
But first those heavenly signs prompt them to do some good deeds. For leads they steal prayer notes left in the Wailing Wall. Our cons set out to do God's work on earth, by intercepting prayers and fulfilling them. Their beneficiaries consider them angels.
To preserve the purity of their intentions, both spurn intimacies offered by the women they've helped.
Chuma has been doing that already, with his paternal generosity to the wife and son Steve abandoned (suspecting his illegitimacy). Chuma says he's conveying Steve's gifts but he is acting from his own heart and conscience.
The cons agree the wishes must be granted literally, completely. That draws on the Jewish faith in the power of the word and moral commitment to "the word" in any pledge. (The theme impels The Merchant of Venice). When they're helping the woman who prayed to get pregnant, we expect it might involve one of them in a carnal intervention. But no. Respecting the purity of her prayer they run her "miracle" through her husband.
She is the third woman from whom our heroes abstain - and she saves their lives. The plots interconnect with such an ironic twist that our heroes' actions and fate could tempt some of us to believe in divine intervention.
But God is absent from this comic noir. A few Orthodox Jews stud the backdrop and the Wailing Wall figures prominently, but of synagogues, sermons and other religious rites there is nothing.
Instead, there is the numbing effect of having lost one's father. Absent the Father, there is also the absence of the father. On both scales man must live by dealing with the sense of abandonment.
Steve and his sister were abandoned by their father, so Steve flees the responsibility of being one himself, especially when he has the excuse of having been found sterile. When he declines his helped woman's offer of a relationship she understands: "I know the sad eyes of a boy who doesn't have a father."
Steve's son prays his unknown father will attend his football trip, then that his loving Chuma would be his dad. Spoiler alert: he gets both.
Our heroes' lives are saved by another miraculous conception, another assumed sterility overruled by a benefit of nature (aka God).
10 Reviews
Two goons respond to a miracle by performing God's work on earth.
maurice_yacowar11 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Excellent film
aorlov-3319216 October 2018
So worth watching
jos2516 January 2021
Unique and engaging. Clever storyline, starts violent, gets very heartfelt. Keeps you on your toes and is quite brilliant actually. Dotted with many funny moments. Watch it.
PS Learned that the main two actors are also the writers. Such talent. Now I need to go watch everything they've produced!
So funny and soplifting
udi_erlich-14 October 2020
The first israel made movie that i loved ..excelant movie
hatemassadi15 November 2019
Great writing and great on screen chemistry
andypeeke9 May 2020
The film slowly draws you in until you have to know what happens next. The good deeds are heartwarming but not always connected. When you arrive at the conclusion of the film everything makes sense and it's beautiful.
One of the best movies of "Radical Theology " I have seen in my whole life...
robindecker23 October 2021
... other ones being "Shawshank redemption" , "Groundhog day", "midnight run", "ikiru" , "departures", "Being there" or "lilies of the field".
Although not all put in a religious setting, all those movies wrestle with the ground for a good life, in a world where "religious dogmatism" does not hod up, and/ or where the hero, initially on a trajectory ridden by self interest, reconstructs his identity along the lines of the "Christ archetype" (Taken here in an inter-faith denomination).
This includes sacrificing himself out of compassion for the other, taking responsibility for shortcomings that are not his own, and acting truthfully, in alliance with his emotion and conscience. It should be added that the particularity of this sacrifice is that it is both non-violent and life affirming.
The "Givedness of life" is the cathartic moment for the Hero in "Maktub". Grasping his newly discovered aliveness, he is able to reach out, open his hand, and bring about life, in the lives of others.
He is not the biological father, but the one through which fatherhood becomes possible. "He is not god", as he says himself. Still he will have been the very condition for generating Life in another beings, and redeeming the life, that here exists.
Although not all put in a religious setting, all those movies wrestle with the ground for a good life, in a world where "religious dogmatism" does not hod up, and/ or where the hero, initially on a trajectory ridden by self interest, reconstructs his identity along the lines of the "Christ archetype" (Taken here in an inter-faith denomination).
This includes sacrificing himself out of compassion for the other, taking responsibility for shortcomings that are not his own, and acting truthfully, in alliance with his emotion and conscience. It should be added that the particularity of this sacrifice is that it is both non-violent and life affirming.
The "Givedness of life" is the cathartic moment for the Hero in "Maktub". Grasping his newly discovered aliveness, he is able to reach out, open his hand, and bring about life, in the lives of others.
He is not the biological father, but the one through which fatherhood becomes possible. "He is not god", as he says himself. Still he will have been the very condition for generating Life in another beings, and redeeming the life, that here exists.
A Hidden Gem fell good movie
cippr17 April 2022
I love to watch movies, no matter from which country to see how they pass their messages. The technique of story telling is so diverse and it's a pleasure to see a movie like Maktub available to us on streaming. First of all, Israeli life is harsh, but the people and the mentality is amazing. We can see a mix of mafia type good guys, after a life changing experience, become angels. You laugh with the ways they go to achieve their good deeds. The same goes for relationships , men/women, kids parents, that are brought up on this movie. Chuma and Steve are buddies for ages, you can see their are complementary on all the levels, with the smarts from Steve and the heart from Chuma. The initial scene is just full of little pearls - two goons with a great fine cuisine knowledge, really analysing the Restaurant menu .. they are goons not food critic, but that bring the comedy all along the movie. Chuma eating all the time, the whole sefarad Israelli with chilis, falafel and the best a true Marrocan style party for Boris Bar Mitzvah - with donkeys and belly dancers. Trully worth to watch, as I've already done at least 10 times and never gets old or tired to feel good after .
Fervent Prayers are Answered
albertval-6956019 January 2022
A surprisingly well-made, feel-good movie with a veritable comedic touch--the humor and wit in the dialogue make one smile broadly.
The idea behind the story is refreshing and the storytelling is made more authentic by its setting which is Jerusalem. The duo of Chuma and Steve are engaging. Their parts are acted just right by Gur Amor and Hansen Savyon who are, incidentally, also the writers.
It's a film that you would like to watch a second or a third time because it's really funny but thoughtful with an unmistakable message of hope.
The idea behind the story is refreshing and the storytelling is made more authentic by its setting which is Jerusalem. The duo of Chuma and Steve are engaging. Their parts are acted just right by Gur Amor and Hansen Savyon who are, incidentally, also the writers.
It's a film that you would like to watch a second or a third time because it's really funny but thoughtful with an unmistakable message of hope.
Great Movie. Tov, Tov, Tov, Kol Ha Kavod.
KATO-SUBZERO9 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
9 May 2020: Shalom, Boker Tov. I am American, not born Jewish. Anyoo, I Love Israel, vacationed in Yisrael in 2017. Ani ohev Israel, Ivrit ba ha lev sheli. I love the Hebrew language and I speak basic Ivrit. I am a fan of Israeli movies and some t.v shows, especially the ones spoken in Hebrew (Ivrit). This movie is excellent from start to the end.
Talking about when God {Adonai, Elohim} gives you a second chance at life on earth, you make good on it. This is what these guys did. I wish that it would have been released in movie theaters in America. My only reason why I did not give it 10 stars is because I did not like that Guy Amir's character "Chuma" eventually gave in and had sex with Hanan's ex-girlfriend. I know that he want to do the right thing and be a dad for her son, but it would have been different, if he was not best friends with Hanan Savyon's character "Steve". So the ending is a mix of happy and disappointment. Happy the boy gets his {Aba} back, but the now the two men can never have the same friendship.
Talking about when God {Adonai, Elohim} gives you a second chance at life on earth, you make good on it. This is what these guys did. I wish that it would have been released in movie theaters in America. My only reason why I did not give it 10 stars is because I did not like that Guy Amir's character "Chuma" eventually gave in and had sex with Hanan's ex-girlfriend. I know that he want to do the right thing and be a dad for her son, but it would have been different, if he was not best friends with Hanan Savyon's character "Steve". So the ending is a mix of happy and disappointment. Happy the boy gets his {Aba} back, but the now the two men can never have the same friendship.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
