Review of An American Pickle

Seth and friends come a long way towards making a sound little buddy movie. This must have been one Rogen wanted to make for a long time - probably as much as Barbra Streisand wanted to make her own identity movie, which is referred to in an end title scene. No cheap laughs, and no big effects here, but a double identity that really needs developing, and some finetuned humourous comments on today's society. The Jewish cementery is now under a higheay bridge, the romantic lake now looks out to an ominously rumbling nuclear facility... 21st Century Ben Greenbaum is a man unconnected to family or values, 19th century Herschel teaches him a few lessons. The scenes in the ghetto are slightly awkward, since Sacha Baron Cohen's exploitations, but no cynicism here. Somewhere in the middle developments become a little predicable, and it is a pity that a big plot movement, speeding up the scenario (no spoilers here) happens so late in the film. Some things I didn't get: how can Ben survive for 5 years in New York on no income? How can a 19th centuty man fly to Schlupsk without assistance? But all and good, we had to suspend our disbelief anyway, seeing a guy survive 100 years in pickle brine...