ONLY HUMAN explores prejudice, but not on a worldly scale. Instead it focuses on one family and how their past and present attitudes may eventually spell out their futures. And it's damn funny.
Dealing with the Palestinian/Israeli equation is touchy at the best of times, but laughing at it is something most probably don't even think about.
When an Israeli Jew brings home her fiancé, it's usually a time for celebration. So when Leni (Marian Aguilera, THE RECKONING), the daughter of a nice Jewish family, brings home her future husband, one would think it'll spark smiles and joy. But Leni's man Rafi (Guillermo Toledo) shows up on her parents' doorstep with her and we immediately know there are going to be ...uh ...problems. He's a Palestinian and he's ducking into the den of a practicing Jewish family.
Usually this type of set up would spark dramatic elements but here we're given a hilarious take on one family and how they come to grips with their daughter's choice. Not only that, but Rafi has to come to terms with an accident that may have killed Leni's father.
Getting ready for dinner, Rafi is introduced to this rather wacky family. There's the nymphomaniac sister, a blind, gun-toting grandfather, the overly-religious brother, and the protective mother. Leni's father is supposed to show up for the dinner but is late for some reason. Leni's younger sister (the nympho) believes their father is having an affair, but only Rafi really knows what may have happened to him. While taking the evening's soup out of the freezer, Rafi accidentally drops it out the kitchen window, and the frozen block falls several stories before landing on someone's head; Leni's dad? No. It couldn't be, could it? Now another Palestinian has possibly killed a Jew, this time with a new weapon! Rafi and Leni must contend with their own inherent prejudices while trying to save their future, and prevent the evening from disintegrating into a quagmire of misunderstandings.
The comedy is both in the dialogue and physical. Rafi tries to find out what's happening to the man below who's head was bashed by the frozen soup. He goes into the bathroom and peers out its window. In the meantime, Leni's grandfather (blind) lumbers in to take a pee, and Rafi gets into an unusual position on the toilet in order to avoid being discovered by Grandpa.
This is a refreshing story that brings high marks for comedy into a realm not normally reserved for such things. The only downside is that the dialogue is sometimes rapid and for those who don't speak Spanish (the movie was shot in Spain), it's often times difficult to read the subtitles and keep up with the action on screen. Otherwise this is an excellent flick.
Dealing with the Palestinian/Israeli equation is touchy at the best of times, but laughing at it is something most probably don't even think about.
When an Israeli Jew brings home her fiancé, it's usually a time for celebration. So when Leni (Marian Aguilera, THE RECKONING), the daughter of a nice Jewish family, brings home her future husband, one would think it'll spark smiles and joy. But Leni's man Rafi (Guillermo Toledo) shows up on her parents' doorstep with her and we immediately know there are going to be ...uh ...problems. He's a Palestinian and he's ducking into the den of a practicing Jewish family.
Usually this type of set up would spark dramatic elements but here we're given a hilarious take on one family and how they come to grips with their daughter's choice. Not only that, but Rafi has to come to terms with an accident that may have killed Leni's father.
Getting ready for dinner, Rafi is introduced to this rather wacky family. There's the nymphomaniac sister, a blind, gun-toting grandfather, the overly-religious brother, and the protective mother. Leni's father is supposed to show up for the dinner but is late for some reason. Leni's younger sister (the nympho) believes their father is having an affair, but only Rafi really knows what may have happened to him. While taking the evening's soup out of the freezer, Rafi accidentally drops it out the kitchen window, and the frozen block falls several stories before landing on someone's head; Leni's dad? No. It couldn't be, could it? Now another Palestinian has possibly killed a Jew, this time with a new weapon! Rafi and Leni must contend with their own inherent prejudices while trying to save their future, and prevent the evening from disintegrating into a quagmire of misunderstandings.
The comedy is both in the dialogue and physical. Rafi tries to find out what's happening to the man below who's head was bashed by the frozen soup. He goes into the bathroom and peers out its window. In the meantime, Leni's grandfather (blind) lumbers in to take a pee, and Rafi gets into an unusual position on the toilet in order to avoid being discovered by Grandpa.
This is a refreshing story that brings high marks for comedy into a realm not normally reserved for such things. The only downside is that the dialogue is sometimes rapid and for those who don't speak Spanish (the movie was shot in Spain), it's often times difficult to read the subtitles and keep up with the action on screen. Otherwise this is an excellent flick.