It's always nice when I have the opportunity to review lesser known films, especially when they turn out to be a tad bit better than the one churned out by the Hollywood machine. Not to say I don’t have an appreciation for the big blockbusters, but I enjoy sitting back and catching quieter fare. I am especially fond of foreign films because they challenge me to understand the viewpoint of a culture other than my own in order to understand the film itself. This is particularly challenging in comedies because most humor, other than slapstick, is culture or experience based. It's here that it is evident that people aren’t always so alike all over. Another challenge facing filmmakers is the ever present political correctness watchdogs. You know… the guys who want to make sure that nobody gets offended. I rather liken these 'Intellectually Challenged" people to the teach in "The Santa Clause" who tells the little boy, "We don’t call them elves, we call them little people…"

So when I heard there was a film making the rounds in Germany that was a Jewish based comedy, I was very curious to see it. After all, how could I ignore the possibility of controversy over a German made Jewish comedy?

"Go For Zucker", introduces us to Jaeckie Zucker (Henry Hubchen), whose chaotic world just seems to be getting worse by the hour. Zucker lived in East Germany before the tearing down of the infamous wall. There he was a sportscast making a decent living. After the wall came down, his life started a downward spiral of pool hustling and gambling debts. Currently he is hit with a $60,000 bank debt with only a few days to pay it off. If he can't come up with the money, the only bars he's going to see are on a jail cell door.

He decides to utilize his talents at pool by entering a tournament. If he wins, he'll have just enough money to clear the debt. But there is a snag. He doesn’t have enough money for the entrance fee. But as luck would have it (good or bad…. you decide…) he gets word that his mother has died and left him a large inheritance. However, as is the case in his current life, there is another snag. He must reconcile with his brother Samuel, whom he hasn't seen in 40 years. Together they must throw an orthodox funeral for their mother and then sit Shiva for seven days. Being that Jaeckie hasn’t really been a practicing Jew for most of his life, he must learn the ways of his family's faith and figure out how to escape the confines of the house during the Shiva in order to enter the tournament.

What I expected to be a film wallowing in Anti-Semitism, "Go For Zucker" was anything but. It was interesting to see how director Dani Levy was able to balance the edge of comedy and racism, sticking firmly to the former relying little of the latter. Though I'm sure there will be those who will dig deep to find traces of racism in order to give meaning to their otherwise meaningless lives, but I thought the movie was an extremely funny look at a man trying desperately to climb out of the holes he has dug in his life. This story could have easily been translated into almost any culture, getting rid of the Jewish overtones altogether.

The DVD is hitting U.S. shores by way of First Run Features, and the first thing that might turn off some audiences is the lack (thankfully) of an English dub. Personally I'm glad there isn't one because the humor is often lost when the original language goes. The film is in German with English subtitles, and the only complaint I have here is that those of you who speak German cannot turn off the subtitles. The extra features are also a little sparse, but that is to be expected on a lesser known film. There is a text only interview with the director as well as some production notes and photo gallery.

"Go For Zucker" is a delightful little film, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought all of the performances were wonderful and I highly recommend it to any and al fans of foreign comedies.

Directed by: Dani Levy
Starring: Henry Hubchen, Hannelore Elsner, Udo Samel, Golda Tencer
Extras: Director Dani Levy on Making a German-Jewish Comedy, Production Notes, Director Biography, Photo Gallery
Specifications: Full Screen, German with English Subtitles
Studio: First Run Features
Release Date: 9/19/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Go For Zucker a B-.