70
Metascore
25 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoOn paper, Ushpizin (Aramaic for "holy guests") looks like a hard sell. It works, however, thanks to a witty script and believable performances from real-life husband and wife.
- 75TV Guide MagazineKen FoxTV Guide MagazineKen FoxThere's little difference between this joyful holiday film and the standard-issue yuletide-miracle movie, except that the holiday isn't Christmas.
- 75New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanGentle and affecting, it offers an introduction to a mostly unfamiliar world while touching on issues recognizable to all.
- 70The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenStylistically Ushpizin belongs to a classic tradition of raucous Yiddish comedy that is easy to enjoy if taken lightly. At the same time, it sustains a double vision of ultra-Orthodox life.
- 70Village VoiceJ. HobermanVillage VoiceJ. HobermanAs directed by Gidi Dar, Ushpizin has a disarming folk quality.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenIn the charming comedy-parable Ushpizin, religious orthodoxy inspires not unbending dogma but humble, sometimes baffled spiritual striving by its embraceable, flawed characters.
- 70L.A. WeeklyElla TaylorL.A. WeeklyElla TaylorA warm, conciliatory entertainment.
- 70Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranA gently humorous fable about the power of faith and the possibility of change, Ushpizin not only takes place in Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, it was filmed with that media-shy group's cooperation and followed religious law at all times.
- 60The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinUshpizin's effortlessly authentic depiction of Jewish orthodoxy--and the palpable, almost ecstatic sense of joy its characters take in it--ultimately tips the film's hand.