). If he's not shaking anxiously at the touch of a pretty girl, or being mentored in the ways of life by a a slippery middle-aged dude then he always seems just out of place. Holy Rollers decides it's not enough to put the Woody Allen-like Eisenberg in a role we're not used to seeing him in, it's about Hasidic Jew drug traffickers too. Huh? Whuzzat? It's an unstable mix of ingredients, unique premise with oddball casting, but it works for precisely that reason. Before you start thinking this is Feivel Full of Grace, think again. Sam Gold(Eisenberg) is a young Hasid just looking for his chance at a stable, productive life. He loves his mother, respects his father whom he works for in their own little business. Their family isn't rich, barely breaking even while living in an Orthodox community in Brooklyn Heights. Sam's father isn't so concerned about the money, but Sam is. He's shy around women, including the bride who has been chosen for him. He years for his chance to wed her, but his family's social status is a constant roadblock
Sam's neighbor, Yosef(The Hangover's
Justin Bartha) is the polar opposite. Obnoxious, rude, his pockets seemingly always lined with cash. His attitude flies in the face of their solemn community, but he doesn't really care about what others think. Whether it's out of pity or a need to corrupt the innocent, Yosef convinces Sam to join him on a job delivering medicine to Amsterdam. Amsterdam of course being the pharmaceutical crossroads of the world. Sam, a reasonably intelligent and honest guy is also too trusting to a fault. Blinded by the opportunity to raise his profile, travel, and make money to hopefully impress his future bride, he leaps at the opportunity. He doesn't bother to question why he's hiding the supposed medicine in his hat, at least not at first. Amsterdam is a whole other world for Sam, and he quickly falls into the seedy world of drugs, nightclubs, and hot chicks. He gets in close with Yosef's boss, Jackie, a hardass thug who toasts "To good business, and good friends, in that order". A real charmer. Sam is also infatuated by Jackie's girlfriend, Rachel(the scene stealing Ari Graynor), who gets off on tempting him knowing his sexual cluelessness. Even upon learning the true nature of his job, Sam continues on, mostly out of pride and the ability to help his family. He's not a bad guy, but the restrictive and unforgiving nature of his family's faith soon forces him to make a painful decision.
Holy Rollers is based on a real life story where Hasidic jews were used as drug mules, because who the heck would bother to frisk them? If I were a lowly TSA agent making $6 an hour you could barely convince me to zip up my fly. Director Kevin Asch keeps the story quiet and simple, balancing the restrained nature of Sam's life at home with the chaotic and exhilerating lifestyle in Amsterdam. He draws a parallel to the values represented in Brooklyn, those of piety, familial honor and respect, to those of Yosef and Jackie who only respect money. I don't know whether Asch is Jewish or not, but some of the early scenes involving Sam's Hasidic family life felt a little forced and not quite genuine. It gets better later on, though, as Sam's new life forces his family more into the background.
Eisenberg in particular does some of the best character work of his career. Sure he's playing up a lot of the same traits he's honed to a ridiculous degree in other films, but it's exactly that jittery vibe he gives off that fits. Sam should be nervous, considering his upbringing and the unfamiliar world he finds himself so attracted to. Yet I would say he's more restrained here than usual, displaying a rare air of confidence when Sam begins find his sea legs. The scenes with Eisenberg and Graynor, who most will recognize from Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
, capitlize on his nerdy persona and her sensuality, but she also displays a maturity that she never had a chance to show in that film. As Rachel, she seems to be the only character who truly realizes what her place in this world is, and that it's probably not going to last forever. Just as the action heats up for Sam and us, the bottom quickly drops out. This is a pretty short film, and as such it has to stick to a tight formula. The rise and fall come in rapid succession, so we're left with a huge chunk that desperately needed to be explored. Sam's flirtation with drugs; the crippling of his relationship with his family; Yosef's scheming, and the potentially disastrous friendship Sam forms with Rachel. None of these get the time they need. You won't hear me say this often, but Holy Rollers could've used another 45 minutes. It ends just as the story has gained momentum.
Despite a slow start and some sketchy representations of Jewish practices, my only real problem with Holy Rollers is that I wanted there to be more. So obviously something must've been done right.
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