IMordecai Movie Review

 

Getting old is not easy for anyone. As we get older, we also see our parents get older and often, more hard-headed and harder to reason with, especially when it comes to advancing technology. 

iMordecai tells the story of a Holocaust survivor, Samel Mordecai trying to navigate life at an old age while balancing his personal and family drama. Played by recent Oscar-nominated actor, Judd Hirsch; Samel's life completely changes after his son gets him a phone upgrade that allows Samel to explore the world in new ways. I personally connected to this story a lot with a similar story with my dad as I tried transitioning him to a new touch phone but his stubborn self wanted to revert back to a flip button phone because the touch phone was too complicated. You can't teach old dogs new tricks. 

Director, Martin Samel's directorial debut is a wonderful tribute to adulthood, fatherhood, and old age. This love letter to his family resonates with the personal stories of his father and his story from the holocaust to his new life in Brooklyn and working multiple lives as a hustle to make money.  Some of these stories are also represented through a very touching use of animations and drawings which are all tied together in the end. 

The family dynamic is fun and energetic with actors such as Sean Astin and Carol Kane playing Marvin and his mother respectfully. Carol Kane who Plays Fela,  is struggling with Alzheimer's and trying to navigate her life with this ever-growing struggle while her husband is enjoying his newfound enjoyment for exploring.

 

I applaud Marvin Samel for taking on the hard task of telling the story of his father and family for his directorial debut. iMordecai is playing now in many Florida locations and opens up to a wider American audience on February 24th. 

Review by: Stefano Bove

3/5

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