They may not be the least likely suspects to be picked as drug smugglers, but no doubt Hasidic Jews would be pretty high up on the list. But, believe it or not, this is exactly the premise of Holy Rollers, a taut, absorbing film from debuting director Kevin Asch.
And as unlikely as the idea seems, Holy Rollers is based on true events. In the late 1990s, members of this particular religious sect were recruited to transport ecstasy from The Netherlands to Brooklyn. And it worked! In fact, the scheme was so successful, over one million pills crossed the border before law enforcement caught on.
Jesse Eisenberg, who impressed moviegoers in Adventureland and Zombieland, stars as Sam Gold, a New York Hasidim who would make any Jewish mother proud. He helps his dad out in the Manhattan garment store. He’s right on schedule with his arranged marriage. And, best of all, he’s studying to be a Rabbi.
But Sam is also anxious. He feels there’s more to life than his family’s simple ways and his predetermined path. That makes him ripe for the picking for neighbor Yosef (Justin Bartha). Yosef is looking for new recruits for the ecstasy import operation. He tells Sam the cargo is only harmless medicine that is legal in The Netherlands but not the United States. His efforts will actually help people. But what wins Sam over to the merits of the venture is the big wad of cash he’s handed after his first assignment.
Sam quickly learns the truth about his cargo, but the payoff is too good and the lifestyle of his new boss Jackie (Danny A. Abeckaser) proves too seductive. Before he knows it, Sam is up to his payot in the illicit drug trade.
Sam is convinced he can mesh his new job and his religious ways. But it isn’t long before the two begin to clash. Will he forego his family and beliefs for a life of crime? Where will his escalating involvement with Jackie and his business, especially his growing attraction to Jackie’s girlfriend Rachel (Ari Graynor), ultimately lead?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Danny A. Abeckaser and Ari Graynor as drug kingpin Jackie and his girlfriend Rachel
Asch, working with a screenplay from Antonio Marcia, takes this intriguing premise and leads us on a fascinating journey into two incredibly different worlds. There’s a crackling rawness to his filmmaking reminiscent of early Scorsese (minus the filmmaker’s trademark edgy violence). And though the elements of the story may be familiar, the fact that it unfolds through the eyes of a young, Hasidic Jew makes it fresh. Eisenberg anchors Holy Rollers wonderfully, capturing the essence of an innocent who evolves into a player. Other standouts in the cast include Bartha as the rebellious Yosef and Abeckaser as the charismatic Jackie. Graynor gives Rachel a sexy sweetness that has as much influence over Sam as any aspect of his drug-running life. Jason Fuchs, as Yosef’s “holier than thou” brother Leon, is sufficiently annoying as the character who always does the right thing, making Sam’s actions look even worse by comparison.
Nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Holy Rollers is sure to be unlike any film you’ll see this year. But in the era of comic book blockbusters and cookie-cutter sequels, is that such a bad thing?
Jesse Eisenberg (Sam) and Justin Bartha (Yosef) take a break from running drugs to run the streets of New York
