A Matter of Size

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A Matter of Size

Released Apr 19, 2009

1h 32m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

85%

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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.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Don Groves

sbs.com.au

Israeli dramedy fights above its weight.

Rated: 3.5

Dec 29, 2010

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Audience Member

Great movie about self image

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

Charming comedy about people well into their lives recognizing and beginning to accept who they are. (And not just in the ways you might expect.)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

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Sharon Maymon

Director

Erez Tadmor

Director

Itzik Cohen

Herzl

Togo Igawa

Kitano

Dvir Benedek

Aharon

Alon Dahan

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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