So I Watched Unorthodox…
Some Background:
I’m jewish. I’m jew-ish. I wasn’t bat-mitzvahed (is that a verb?). My family has Shabbat dinner almost weekly. I own a menorah. I don’t know if I believe in God.
Unorthodox shows a world I’m familiar with but have never been a part of and I spent the first episode wondering if this would be watchable to non-jews. Would they get the subtleties? Would they care? How much would they judge?
After I was reassured by my goyish friend Carolanne that it was interesting even if you didn’t get that the women are wearing wigs until much later, my brain could finally switch over to analyzing a piece of art.
And it’s a wonderful piece of art.
Props go to the cinematographer and director first. The miniseries is shot in a way that pulls you in and highlights emotion in a non-voyeuristic manner. Of course, now that I’ve mentioned emotions next comes the acting.
The obvious standout is the lead, Shira Haas, who plays Esty. She’s 25 years old but if you told me she was 15 I’d believe you. That youthfulness is such an asset, it reminds you of her short and sheltered life at every turn. The vulnerability she can show in a quirk of an eyebrow is a masterclass in non-verbal communication. I throughly enjoyed the power and the vulnerability she brought to the role and the story as a whole. She is, in every since, small but mighty.
This is a short post because when it comes down to it I took away two things from watching Unorthodox.
The first thing is simple. Finding yourself will always be a universal story. I’m writing this post after reading the first chapter of Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly, which if you’re unfamiliar is about vulnerability, and talking to my boyfriend about self growth. I’m a big fan of growth, of self awareness, of (for the thousandth time in this post) vulnerability. However you dress it up, with religion or art or fucking sci-fi and aliens, the great stories are about character development and finding what you want out of life. People want to see a character grow and change and find themselves.
The second thing is personal and stupid. I’m great at suspending my disbelief normally. What Unorthodox taught me is that some really stupid things can pull me out of a show or movie.
***SPOILER AHEAD***
Since when is Esty a great singer????? Where was that in all the flashbacks??? I get it, the audience wants a happy ending after the Israeli girl crushed her spirit but come on. It was a wonderful scene and she has a wonderful voice but it felt so out of place to me.
***SPOILERS OVER***
Sorry for the minor rant, I needed to get that off my chest.
What I hope is clear in this post is that Unorthodox is an enjoyable series. And honestly four episodes is an easy commitment. The series gives you a look into a closed off and isolated world while still being a universal story about identity and happiness.
Copper fell asleep during it but I still give it a stamp of approval.
