Disobedience (2017)
Running Time: 1hr 54mins
Ronit (Rachel Weisz) returns to the Orthodox Jewish community of her childhood after learning of her Rabbi father’s death. Upon her arrival, she is surprised to discover that two of her childhood friends, Dovid (Alessandro Nivola) and Esti (Rachel McAdams), are now married to each other. While Dovid has been preparing as the heir apparent to the recently deceased Rabbi, Esti has been the devoted, faithful, and committed wife with an unorthodox past.
We are quickly exposed to the emotional connection between the two women and it is obvious there are some unwritten chapters of the book between them. It is also apparent that while Ronit has left the Jewish community in part due to her sexuality, Esti has continued to struggle with her own sexuality and placement within the community. Esti has tried to play the role of content wife and faithful church member, all while struggling and longing for something or someone else. The presence of Ronit has reignited those faded sparks.
Ronit and Esti steal a few intimate moments which make the connection feel more real except for, in my opinion, a few seconds of a gratuitous and gross exchange in a hotel room. Other than the moment of, “I can’t believe that just happened,” the women are able to make a real-life situation believable on-screen.
Esti’s husband, Dovid, knows that something is going on between the women, but manages to maintain his composure. It is very obvious that despite what is going on behind his back, he loves his wife and he loves his friend, Ronit.
Without giving too much away regarding the outcome of the movie, I want to mention two very specific concepts that really resonated with me throughout the film. The first is the urge, the desire, the pure unrelenting drive to be who you are and to be happy despite all the sacrifices and potential negative repercussions of that pursuit. Esti needed to be free to be who she was and, in order to do that, she couldn’t be with Dovid. She couldn’t be married to this man despite how much she loved him and he loved her.
The second is how strong of a bond love truly is. Love conquers all other emotions and feelings including selfishness and anger. Dovid didn’t treat Esti with the anger one would expect from a husband who just rediscovered his wife’s true self. He was hurt, he was embarrassed, and he was scared. But he loved Esti enough to know that he needed to put his own feelings aside. He loved Esti enough to set her free from the restraints of a marriage she didn’t want and couldn’t want.
I enjoyed the movie, but wouldn’t rush to watch it again. So the ultimate question is: Would I recommend the film to a friend? Absolutely!
