Lior Loui Ashkenazi: Zaza	Ronit Elkabetz: Judith
Moni Moshonov: Yasha	Lili Kosashvili:Lili
Aya Steinovits Laor: Llana	Directed by: Dover Kosashvili

30 Second Bottom Line: A 32 year-old Tel-Aviv bachelor is pressured by his traditional Jewish parents to get married.

Story Line: Zaza's relatives think it is "…a disgrace to the whole family that he is not married." Pressured relentlessly by his parents to take the marital plunge, Zaza reluctantly agrees to meet their chosen match for him. Indeed, although "Late Marriage" is set in modern-day Israel, the old-world traditions of a proper match are upheld. The bride-to-be must not only be beautiful but from a reputable family as well. And when he meets the lovely Llana, Zaza even lists his possessions in the true spirit of a Jewish betrothal.

But Zaza is simply humoring everyone. Clearly this is not the first attempt by his relatives to line up a bride for this perpetual single guy who always seems to escape tying the knot. What no one knows is that Zaza is already in love with divorced, single-mom Judith, whose lively spirit and uninhibited sexuality steam up the screen. Their torrid lovemaking is reason enough to see "Late Marriage."

The whimsical comedy of this film takes an abrupt turn toward bitter intensity when Zaza's relatives follow him to Judith's apartment and confront the couple. Calling the unsuspecting Judith a "bitch and a whore," the interfering party storms out of the room. Incredibly, Zaza follows-an obvious casualty in the war between love and his culture's traditions. "I'll kill the girl first," Zaza's mother fumes and we believe her determination.

"Late Marriage" doesn't try to tie up any loose ends in its stunning conclusion. Suddenly, the story cuts to a wedding and it becomes rapidly apparent that this celebration is for Zaza and his bride¾a totally new face. The plight of Judith and her child, the fate of the beguiling Llana are never examined. Clearly Zaza's parents and Orthodox Jewish tradition have won. It is a bittersweet, unsatisfying ending, filled with anguish and questions. Perhaps that is the idea.

Tell Me More About It: Written and directed by Dover Koshashvilis, "Late Marriage" marks an impressive feature film debut for this Israeli filmmaker. His previous work includes a critically acclaimed short, "With Rules," which earned several international prizes, the most notable a CineFoundation award at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.

"Late Marriage" manages to straddle the genres of comedy and drama, much like real life. Like a twisted version of "Fiddler on the Roof," "Late Marriage" uses colorful characters, wry irony and poignancy to make a scathing comment about life's compromises.

Lior Loui Ashkenazi: "Electricity Man"	Ronit Elkabetz: "Made in France"
Moni Moshonov: "BesameMucho"	Director: Dover Kosashivilis: "With Rules"