Not 'feminism' ****POSSIBLE SPOILERS

****POSSIBLE SPOILERS


I thought Assi Levy richly deserved the awards she received for her superb portrayal of Aviva.

Those who say this is somehow a love song to feminism are way off the mark in my opinion (and I'm a man). Aviva is a 'real' person, and so too is her determined and loving sister Anita (wonderfully played by Rotem Abuhab).

If a lot of men in this film appear to be weak and/or treacherous, it's because there ARE a lot of men who are weak and/or treacherous. Writer/director Shemi Zarhin does a terrific job of underscoring this fact. It's uncommon to see this in film these days.

Aviva Ahuvati is essentially a story about a woman who won't give up because she can't give up.

Assi Levy's Aviva is a strong female character who manages to overcome great obstacles, including poverty and epic familial problems, to succeed. Despite manipulation from her 'advisor' (a creatively depleted former novelist), and unrelenting pressures at home and work, she continues to write because she is, as her sister says, 'a real writer,' unlike the faded 'advisor'. She can't stop writing great stories because they are very much a part of who she is as a human being. A good definition of a 'real' writer is one who cannot stop writing because it's deeply within the 'soul,' a word that is used more than a few times in this film.

Outside of Pedro Almodovar's films, there are very few strong-willed, courageous and principled female characters in cinema today. Almost all movies are dominated by men if you really think about it. In far too many cases, women are just around as window dressing, as glorified 'props'.

Maybe I'm too old and crusty, but actresses in most Hollywood films are generic; they all look (and basically act) the same to me. Levy's Aviva is no raving beauty, and that's another factor that makes this film so 'real'.

I thought this was a flawed but still excellent work. It was unusual, original, refreshing, and well-directed, and it showed how the creative muses, once awakened, refuse to go away.