Very few films move me to tears but this one did. A perfect gem, based on the 1973 novel of the same name, Paul Mones has translated into film the story of a young devout Jewish boy in Jerusalem whose rabbi father has been killed in the unceasing conflict. Left to provide for his pregnant mother and younger sisters, Dovid Meyer - in an extraordinary performance from Ted Sutherland - takes a job as an au pair to an affluent but secular Jewish family in England. After their initial surprise, Dovid becomes a key member of the family in ways that none of them imagined.
What follows is a series of miracles great and small: spiritual awakenings, personal unfoldings, journeys inward and outward, and coming home. We watch the family transformed by Dovid's deep faith and goodness. The movie moves toward an unexpected conclusion as the family deals with life on life's terms, but one that leaves the viewer thinking: "Yes, this is absolutely the right thing." "Dovid Meyer" may just be the right film in the right place at the right time: a film without violence, profanity or graphic sex but that touches on the only things in life that truly matter. A film well worth watching as a family (the child actors are wonderful) and discussing together afterward. I predict a very successful career for young actor Ted Sutherland, whose luminous performance lights up the screen. This film deserves to become a cult classic.
What follows is a series of miracles great and small: spiritual awakenings, personal unfoldings, journeys inward and outward, and coming home. We watch the family transformed by Dovid's deep faith and goodness. The movie moves toward an unexpected conclusion as the family deals with life on life's terms, but one that leaves the viewer thinking: "Yes, this is absolutely the right thing." "Dovid Meyer" may just be the right film in the right place at the right time: a film without violence, profanity or graphic sex but that touches on the only things in life that truly matter. A film well worth watching as a family (the child actors are wonderful) and discussing together afterward. I predict a very successful career for young actor Ted Sutherland, whose luminous performance lights up the screen. This film deserves to become a cult classic.
