Disobedience
Sebastian Lelio’s adaptation of Naomi Alderman’s book reaches not too far from the spectacular ground he covered in the Oscar winning A Fantastic Woman. He again deals with grief, this time through the perspective of another woman shunned, this time when her Orthodox Jewish community refuses to accept her lesbian relationship with another member of the synagogue.
Rachel Weisz brings an admirable gravity to her, essentially, leading character but, to me, the real star of the piece is Rachel McAdams who, meek underneath her wig, welcomes her former lover into her new, cleansed home. The film becomes as much a study of the constraints of religion as it does a story of estrangement. It’s when old flames ignite the piece becomes less interesting. Unless you’ve been waiting for the “big scene”. Then, I guess, you’re set.
While A Fantastic Woman not only grabbed but held me throughout, I found this admirable piece somewhat stilled by its impressive intentions. The actresses try as they may to bring more than what’s on the ambitious page but it’s really only McAdams who manages to capture and break our hearts.
The Movie Minute 