There are movies about the tension between secular and religious Jews, and movies about Holocaust survivors. This one is both.Chaiyah, a Jewish college-aged woman in Antwerp, Belgium, couldn't care less about her family's stories, and she finds the Chasidim to be particularly weird. A child of the sexual revolution, she's concerned with having a good time.Through a family friend, she finds a job as a nanny for a Chasidic family. Although she's ready to quit the first day, she quickly develops a — no, a kinship — with the youngest boy with severe emotional difficulties. The boy, Simcha, can't speak, even though he's four, and when he's under pressure, he wets himself. Chaiyah brings him out. He begins talking, and even sings the Mah Nishtanah at the Seder.The film shows us reasons for the Chasidic father's seeming aloofness to the youngest son, overt and less than overt anti-Semitism in Europe ("You don't look Jewish.") , and the ways the older generation has of dealing or coping with the past.As the film progresses, Chaiyah becomes bonded with her people, which I think is the meaning of the final scene.Some of the scenes can't really be appreciated without an understanding of Jewish culture and practice. I think this is particularly true of one of the late scenes between the two main women characters. It really floored me.It's a real tear-jerker, but it's not without its happy moments.

Chassidim wear dark clothing and follow strict religious rules. Therefore, many people tend to think of them as dour, repressive, and joyless. Nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, Chassidism stresses joy, music, and a passion for life. All of this is absent from the movie.It is a shame that the people making this movie had no actual knowledge of Chassidic society. Or -- if they did -- that they chose to ignore it. They shamelessly play to the negative stereotypes, presenting a psychologically abusive father in a repressive society. Oh -- the movie is well done and well acted, but it is so distorted in its portrayal of Chassidic subculture that it comes out to be offensive.

I know, I stick my neck out with that summary, but this was one of those rare movies that genuinely surprised me. I flicked onto it by accident and it seemed interesting, and I am so pleased I saw it - and I will be watching it many times again in the future. Laura Fraser, who I haven't seen in many other movies (certainly none as memorable as this), is simply astounding in her performance as a modern Jewish girl confronted by an old-fashioned Jewish family in the 1970s. She befriends a young boy and becomes very attached to him. This relationship, I felt, was built in a genuinely heartwarming way.Laura Fraser is not the only surprise - there is also the performances of Maximilian Schell and Isabella Rosselini, not to mention the great supporting cast of adults and many children.To bring this theme into a 'modern' setting (and though the film is set in the 70s it could almost be today) is a difficult task, and this film not only succeeds, it shines. If you happen to fall upon this movie, don't pass it by because you wouldn't want to miss it.

I saw this film in Liverpool, and I knew a lot of people in the audience. Not one of them was disappointed with this production. The acting and story line were excellent, and although the film was not particularly fast-moving, it was by no means slow. The acting was excellent, especially from such a young boy as Adam Monty. I think that this is an excellent film, and I would recommend it to adults, but not for children under 12.