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The Matchmaker

Play trailer Poster for The Matchmaker 2010 1h 52m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
In 1968 a teenage boy starts working for a Holocaust survivor who acts as a matchmaker, and both of their lives change forever.
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The Matchmaker

The Matchmaker

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Critics Consensus

Once I Was (The Matchmaker) nimbly juggles light dramedy and real-world horror in a coming-of-age story with an impactfully unusual perspective.

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Critics Reviews

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John Hartl Seattle Times The shadow of the Holocaust hangs over this unique Israeli coming-of-age film, which deals with a special kind of survivor's guilt. Rated: 3/4 Mar 14, 2013 Full Review Walter V. Addiego San Francisco Chronicle Nesher ... has a populist touch, showing a sure hand with the numerous subplots and never allowing us to lose sight of his characters' humanity, even the mostly pathetic villain of the piece. Rated: 3/4 Dec 14, 2012 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times This is a sweet, bittersweet comedy, well-executed if perhaps a little heavy on anecdotage. Rated: 3/4 Dec 13, 2012 Full Review Michael D. Reid Victoria Times Colonist (B.C., Canada) [The Matchmaker] succeeds on two levels -- as a Middle East coming-of-age fable during a period of cultural change, and a rare view of Holocaust survivors in Israel learning to live and love again. Rated: 3/5 Oct 24, 2016 Full Review Hannah Brown Jerusalem Post This immensely pleasurable and moving film manages to weave the many strands of its plot to create a portrait of Israel in 1968 that sheds light on the country today, and does so without sacrificing drama to polemics. Mar 21, 2016 Full Review Mark Zhuravsky The Playlist At heart an unexpectedly complex film about love, but also an examination of Israel in flux, a country with one foot in the past and another in the future - a weight that may never fully vacate Israeli shoulders. Rated: B+ Mar 14, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alain E An expertly constructed coming of age story set in Israel in 1968. The director, who also wrote the script, sets in motion several stories and never loses control. Survivors of the Holocaust still abound and the issue is handled with respect. There is no sentimentality, melodrama or nationalism. Overall most people we encounter merely survive. On Tubi. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/23/25 Full Review Audience Member Lost for words! Such a great movie!! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/29/18 Full Review Audience Member This is a lovely, sweet, Israeli coming-of-age film set in 1968 Haifa. Beautifully written, acted, and photographed, the film works on many levels, as a comedy, a survivor's tale, and a fable. Kudos to writer-director Avi Nesher and lead actors Adir Miller and Maya Dagan, who won best actor and best actress awards from the Israeli Film Academy. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member A cute Israeli Rom-com. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Set in 1968, this is a lighthearted Israeli film is infused with a smidgen of mystery and built on the difficult memories of the Holocaust. The teenaged protagonist learns about love ("why do Americans protest 'make love not war'. Wasn't there more important things than love?", he asks.) from a matchmaker and a free-spirited girl visiting for the summer. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member This is quite an engaging film -- a mash-up and a throwback to the kind of Israeli films made in the seventies. The usual themes are there - Holocaust survivor tales, coming of age in an old / new land -- complex characters whose secrets reveal themselves as the plot unfolds. "The Matchmaker"'s Hebrew title is "Once upon a time..." which may be more appropriate, because it tells a tale with a beginning, middle and not so-satisfying end. For Israel buffs, this may be just your cup of tea... with a cube of sugar in your teeth! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Matchmaker

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Cast & Crew

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Avi Nesher

Director

Adir Miller

Yankele Bride

Dror Keren

Meir the Librarian

Dov Navon

Yozi Burstein

Yarden Bar-Kochba

Nili Burstein

Maya Dagan

Clara Epstein

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The Matchmaker

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1968 a teenage boy starts working for a Holocaust survivor who acts as a matchmaker, and both of their lives change forever.
Director
Avi Nesher
Screenwriter
Avi Nesher
Production Co
United Channel Movies, Artomas Communications, Metro Communications
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Hebrew
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 2, 2014
Runtime
1h 52m
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