An opening scene depicts an aged rabbi orating to his Orthodox Jewish temple on free will before falling down dead amidst a congregation that obviously loves him. It's a haunting scene, made all the more powerful by the story that follows after. We immediately redirect our focus to a young woman, Ronit Krushka (played to perfection by Rachel Weisz), a photographer in New York who receives a phone call and flies to London. Ronit is the rabbi's estranged daughter, and the film chronicles her journey back home to the community that has many mixed feelings about her presence.
Her best childhood friends, Dovid and Esti (Alessandro Nivola and Rachel McAdams, respectively), invite her to stay in their home. Ronit is surprised to learn the two are now married, though it takes us some time to learn why. We do, however, clearly see that Ronit does not fit in with the Orthodox community honoring her late father. Indeed, we hear that it has been many years since Ronit has visited, and we surmise that some bridges, once burned, can never be repaired.
Alone with her two friends, we begin to understand the love triangle that begins to burn anew: Ronit and Esti were young lovers together, which seems to be the root of her estrangement from the community. Esti, left behind, decided to marry Dovid, perhaps as some sort of consolation. Esti's desire is awakened and she and Ronit embark on an affair. Dovid, meanwhile, attempts to step into the rabbi's shoes, and in his stressed state, turns a blind eye to the discord he has sown into his own home, which he tells the elders he keeps in perfect order.
Disobedience is a fabulously melancholy chamber piece, reaching operatic heights in its depiction of the intersection of religion, history, and sexuality. In fact, this is the queer movie we should be raving about this year (I'm looking at you, Love, Simon). Rarely have we ever seen a film that explores this fully the essence of the religious queer person; equally rarely do we see this sympathetic a portrait of modern Orthodox Jewish life. It's a lovely premise and and even lovelier slice of culture.
More important still is the craft built into the film. This is top-shelf work from the actors (and, really, why haven't the two Rachels been in movies before? Or lovers before?), all of whom should be in more movies, period. We have soft, subdued lighting with gloriously muted hues and shapes, tightly controlled camera that humanizes its subjects, and some amazing music that underscores themes of subversion and romance. The score teams up nicely with the editing in creating a realistic yet somewhat disorienting sense of cultural shock and psychological dissonance.
These characters at once belong and do not, love and cannot, believe and should not. The film's insistence on delving into these complexities and shunning clear-cut answers, characterizations, or solutions makes this film a gripping exercise in humanity. For a powerhouse story about the virtues of doubt and bravery, extolling defiance and uncertainty as virtues, you could do a lot worse than Disobedience.
IMDb: Disobedience
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