If you believe love is blind, love conquers all, and all you need is love, have I got a movie for you!
It's the sweet, hopeful and implausible "Twist of Faith" (8 tonight, Lifetime), the tale of how music and singing brings an unlikely couple together.
Jacob (David Julian Hirsh) is a kindly Orthodox Jewish cantor, a loving husband, and a devoted father of three who lives in Brooklyn. One day, his family gets on a bus and is slaughtered by a guy hopped up on something. The tragedy leaves Jacob unable to speak, but able to leave his garments, wallets and keys behind, board a bus and end up making his way to the deep South.
In the small Alabama town he eventually ends up in lives Nina (Toni Braxton), a single mother and devout Baptist church member; naturally she's in the choir. She lives next door to the church with her Uncle Moe (Mykelti Williamson) and her son Asher (Nathaniel James Potvin). Asher takes to silent Jacob first; Uncle Moe gives him a place to stay at the church, and when Jacob, who is also a carpenter (a Jewish carpenter!), proves himself handy, he earns a permanent place, much to suspicious Nina's chagrin.
But after a reminder that she's a Christian, Nina comes around and shows him some kindness; soon silent Jacob breaks his silence just for her. Before you know it, he's singing with the choir and everything. And the next thing you know, they're giving one another eyes of longing. Can this interfaith love be?
Well, the film actually kind of ignores that. While doing a nice job showing the rituals of Jacob's faith, "Twist of Faith" then pretty much ignores his commitment to that faith and that maybe, just maybe, Jacob's Orthodox Jewish mom, who lives in an Orthodox Jewish community, and pronounces his name 'Yacob' might at least be taken aback if her son told her he's got a thing for a black Christian woman. And what about the equally startling notion that a Jewish man from Brooklyn wouldn't think twice about moving to po-dunk Alabama?
While "Twist of Faith" doesn't handle race and religion realistically, it's got all the other tropes you want to see when Yankees go South: gospel music, rednecks, and guns (In the North, they're used for killing innocent people, in the South, for killing innocent, but tasty rabbits).
While Braxton and Hirsh don't have much chemistry, they are a good-looking pair; it's Williamson who saves the day. He's good even in a trifle like this.
Still, "Twist of Faith" is sweet-natured and the music's good. Even a critic like me likes a love story. After all, love is all that matters.
Assistant Features Editor Adrienne Johnson Martin would like to have her life turned into an animated cartoon.
Comments
Seriously? Really? Are you kidding me?
Thu, 02/14/2013 - 16:06 — Bailey3342I've watched this movie many times and I loved it. It was one of the most beautiful films of love and blind compassion and forgiveness I've ever seen and I've been around for a long time. My question to you would be "Did you really watch it?"
"Twist of Faith" then pretty much ignores his commitment to that faith and that maybe, just maybe, Jacob's Orthodox Jewish mom, who lives in an Orthodox Jewish community, and pronounces his name 'Yacob' might at least be taken aback if her son told her he's got a thing for a black Christian woman."
First, not everyone is a racist so they don't approach race the way you stated nor would they think about how could someone "not be taken aback" by an interracially relationship, like you just did. They don't operate their lives based on race so it wouldn't cross their minds. Please watch the film, the man had just lost his family to a horribly violent crime. His mother loves her son and above all she wants him to be happy as any loving mother would. If his heart was content and he was able to find happiness even with a "Black Christian woman" her love for him would outweigh racial discrimination. If it doesn't, she doesn't love her son, period. Secondly, while I'm sure there are more than enough racist Jews, there are also Jews that know the Torah and Jewish History and know the examples of when Jewish men married women of African Heritage. The most notable would be Moses. In addition, their history tells of Solomon and his love for the Queen of Sheba. And while racists are still trying to change the race of these women, Jews are well aware of the women in these notable Jew men's lives. And lastly there are more than enough examples of God's acceptance of marriage with other races because race wasn't a factor, it was only faith that was the problem not race. God is not a racist.
"And what about the equally startling notion that a Jewish man from Brooklyn wouldn't think twice about moving to po-dunk Alabama?"
Newsflash, Jews live in all 50 states, including Alabama. Secondly, as the story goes he didn't know where he was going, he had just lost his wife and three children. The way he handled that is very personal and it's hard to say what someone would do in that circumstance. What would you do?
While "Twist of Faith" doesn't handle race and religion realistically,..."
Are you serious? Not everyone actually sees race when they look at someone. Not everyone feels that they have to discuss race whenever someone that looks differently shows up. Not everyone is a racist so again they don't think that race is some amazing thing that has to be the topic whenever people of different races work together, or live together or love together. Do you work with people of other races? If so, when was the last time you all sat down and had a meeting about race?
"While Braxton and Hirsh don't have much chemistry..."
Now this statement is just amazing to me. Seriously? Again I must ask, have you even seen the movie? They have so much chemistry its palatable. The way they look at each other is simple breathtaking. The gentle way he touches her and treats her and the way he emotional and physically reaches out to her is easy to see. Again, anyone that has a personal problem with interracial relationships could never be able to see the chemistry in any of these relationships and in fact they could never see the forest for the color of the trees.