Falls somewhere between "Cinderella" and "Malcolm in the Middle," and that's pretty much the challenge that faces actor Oshri Cohen, who very nearly pulls it off.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The New York Times by Dave Kehr
The picture is a bland procession of loosely framed close-ups, which serve only to underline the amateurish performances.
New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman
Deftly composed of many small moments, this gentle Israeli film skirts politics to portray a family that is blessedly normal in its internal chaos.
The film has the unpolished charm of a diamond in the rough, and it boasts a richer inner life than most of the teen movies currently bouncing off the assembly line.
The Hollywood Reporter by Frank Scheck
Eventually gets so bogged down in its own quirkiness that its humanistic message gets lost.
There's nothing unique about Zarhin's plot -- it's a standard coming-of-age tale with traces of "Good Will Hunting" -- but she portrays the intra-family dynamics with unusual honesty and accuracy.
A bit naive and formless.
Sweet if slight Israeli comedy.
Credit the disarming cast, especially Oshri Cohen as the boy and Arie Ellias as his eccentric grandfather. They help turn what could be a standard comedy into a life-affirming, enjoyable one.