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A Matter of Size

Released Apr 19, 2009 1h 32m Comedy Drama List
85% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
After losing his job at a salad bar because of his weight, Herzl (Itzik Cohen), a morbidly obese Israeli, finds new employment washing dishes safely out of view from patrons in the kitchen of a Japanese restaurant. When Herzl's coworkers and new boss, Kitano (Togo Igawa), introduce him to sumo wrestling, he realizes he has found his calling. Energized, Herzl orchestrates a mutiny among the miserable ranks of a local weight-loss boot camp to recruit members for his own sumo wrestling club.

Critics Reviews

View All (13) Critics Reviews
Kate Taylor Globe and Mail Those elements make it hard to slot the movie into the happy category of quirky charmer and yet, while intriguing, they are never significant enough for the film to take on a larger personality. Rated: 2/4 Mar 25, 2011 Full Review Linda Barnard Toronto Star An amusingly lightweight Israeli comedy about rebellious fatties who decide to use their heft for a greater purpose, A Matter of Size will have you ordering your popcorn with extra butter and refusing to feel guilty about it. Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 25, 2011 Full Review John Hartl Seattle Times While the story may take place in working-class Israel in the 21st century, rejection is universal. So are most attempts to come to terms with it. Still, there's more than a little novelty value in the choices its characters make. Rated: 3/4 Oct 14, 2010 Full Review Liz Braun Jam! Movies The humour in A Matter of Size is somewhat puerile, but the film does cover important social issues in its own gentle way. Rated: 3/5 Mar 25, 2011 Full Review Norman Wilner NOW Toronto Directors Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor avoid the temptation to remake The Full Monty, focusing instead on how physical training forces the characters to confront their buried psychological issues. Rated: 3/5 Mar 25, 2011 Full Review Don Groves sbs.com.au Israeli dramedy fights above its weight. Rated: 3.5 Dec 29, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (24) audience reviews
Daniel O The movie had his good moments. The 4 stories only 2 and ending the other 2 don't. I Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Delightful and skillful acting, great storyline, and wonderful sense of humor make this film a great watch! Highly recommend! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member This creative look at obesity in Israel (can you say, "Sumo"?) asks viewers to understand the broader perspectives of discrimination (real or imagined), insecurities and social norms. It is funny and has a message, even as it furthers some other stereotypes. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member This is in fact more a drama about self-acceptance than the comedy it is being labeled as, and it is much more efficient in its decent first half than after, when we are left with a pile of clichés and artificial conflicts that really make this a pretty forgettable movie. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Four overweight guys (and a woman) living in the Israeli city of Ramla learn to embrace who they are when they discover sumo wrestling as an alternative to the diet club under which they have been stagnating. Nice idea and there are a few nice moments; while it strays into the territory of rom-com it never quite gets sucked into the melodrama of a Karate Kid or a Full Monty despite sharing the same DNA. At 90 minutes the film just about manages to not outstay it's welcome. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Great movie about self image Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
A Matter of Size

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Cast & Crew

Big Fan 86% 62% Big Fan Soul Kitchen 73% 74% Soul Kitchen A Serious Man 89% 68% A Serious Man Humboldt County 60% 59% Humboldt County Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis After losing his job at a salad bar because of his weight, Herzl (Itzik Cohen), a morbidly obese Israeli, finds new employment washing dishes safely out of view from patrons in the kitchen of a Japanese restaurant. When Herzl's coworkers and new boss, Kitano (Togo Igawa), introduce him to sumo wrestling, he realizes he has found his calling. Energized, Herzl orchestrates a mutiny among the miserable ranks of a local weight-loss boot camp to recruit members for his own sumo wrestling club.
Director
Sharon Maymon, Erez Tadmor
Producer
Daniel Baur, Tami Leon, Chilik Michaeli, Avraham Pirchi
Screenwriter
Sharon Maymon, Danny Cohen-Solal
Distributor
Menemsha Films
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
Hebrew
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 19, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 26, 2020
Runtime
1h 32m