This is must-see: “This is Sodom” at the AJFF

by John McCurdy, Editor: JMcCurdy@atljewishtimes.com

Hit Israeli TV sketch comedy show “Eretz Nehederet” (English: “A Wonderful Country;” think “Saturday Night Live” with a strong doses of Monty Python and Mel Brooks) made its first cross-over to the big screen in 2010, and now – after a few scattered festival showings in the U.S. and extremely limited DVD release – “This is Sodom” (Hebrew: “Zohi Sdom”) makes its area debut at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

Locals are in for a treat, with four showings (Feb. 10, 13, 23 and 24; see ajff.org for more details) provide priceless opportunities to take in the film that broke box office records in its native land and garnered five Israeli Academy Award nominations and two wins.

“This is Sodom” very loosely follows the biblical tale of Sodom and Gomorrah in that the titular city of sin is judged by God for destruction. The humorous twists begin right away as Abraham (Mordechai Kirschenbaum) negotiates for the life of his nephew Lot (Dov Navon) with a traveling-salesman God (Eyal Kitzis).

Ridiculous slapstick gags – from the barking goat at Abraham’s residence to angels Michael and Raphael riding motorcycles to frequent use of men in drag – fit right in with a plot that has the “Mayor” of Sodom (Eli Finish) attempting to fool the divine forces that he is the one righteous man to be spared via means of swapped identities and silly seductions.

The nefarious plan goes awry as the Mayor’s son Prince Ninve (Assi Cohen) actually does fall for Lot’s daughter Charlotte (Alma Zack) and the pure Lot overcomes the temptations of sugar – a commodity rare at the time which hilariously has the properties of crack cocaine here – and a commercialized community center. Still, it’s not so simple as good-over-evil, and the fittingly satirical conclusion won’t be spoiled here.

The whole is a perfect example of what a variety-show-turned-movie should be: Unlike the “SNL” movies, actors aren’t shoehorned into characters already done to death but instead are allowed to dole out the laughs in a new venue. The use of a Genesis story for setting and time frame isn’t altogether unheard of, but still much more fertile than, say, a buddy or cop comedy.

Navon is terrific as the bumbling-but-well-intentioned lead, while Cohen is a surprise star with raucously overwrought expressions and melodramatic delivery. The few musical numbers – mostly love songs between Cohen and Zack – are funny and thankfully don’t slow the generally fast pace.

With hilarity like this – not to mention a title so obvious – “This is Sodom” can’t be missed by Festival-goers.