Based on the book by Naomi Alderman and starring Rachel Weisz. She plays photographer Ronit who lives a secular life in New York but comes back to a Haredi community in North London when her father, a rabbi, dies. At first it seems like a typical push-pull between tradition and modernity, but once we dig in with the characters, it has the crackle and sympathy of real life.
Ronit stays with the two best friends of her youth, Dovid (Alessandro Nivola) and Esti (Rachel McAdams), who have since gotten married. In time we’ll realize that there are still lingering feelings between Ronit and Esti, who were lovers before Ronit’s father found them out. While Ronit left the community, Esti chose to stay, but what’s remarkable about this film is that no one is a villain. You expect this to be a condemnation of faith, but “Disobedience” is all about unexpected outcomes.
Courtesy: Jordan Hoffman, The Times of Israel