The Matchmaker
Menemsha Films | Release Date: August 17, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
The PlaylistMark ZhuravsyAug 18, 2012
The Matchmaker is at heart an unexpectedly complex film about love, but also an examination of Israel in flux, a country with one foot in the past and another in the future – a weight that may never fully vacate Israeli shoulders. Read full review
80
Village VoiceMichelle OrangeAug 14, 2012
An old-fashioned Mediterranean coming-of-age story set in the young heart of the Levant, The Matchmaker combines the tender tone of a film like "Cinema Paradiso" with a clear-eyed, street-level vantage on Israel's summer of the Six-Day War. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranAug 13, 2012
It sounds like a throwback to an earlier, more traditional style of Israeli filmmaking but it instead provides a view of that country that's as satisfyingly eccentric and unexpected as anything we've seen. Read full review
80
VarietyJohn AndersonAug 13, 2012
This look back at late-'60s Haifa makes for strong, accessible, character-driven drama. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertDec 12, 2012
This is a sweet, bittersweet comedy, well-executed if perhaps a little heavy on anecdotage. You know who might have made it in the old days? I kept thinking of Woody Allen. You don't know what you want. Woody knows what you want. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeLoren KingAug 13, 2012
How does a filmmaker tell a Holocaust story that hasn't been told before? The Matchmaker does it by weaving fable with realism, coming-of-age innocence with adult grief, and guilt with romanticism. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldAug 16, 2012
The efficient approach and tendency toward broad strokes prevent the movie from taking a deep hold, and Mr. Shafir is a hesitant young actor to have at the center. But, like the title character, Mr. Nesher demonstrates a practical intelligence for making basic connections. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineGlenn Heath Jr.Aug 13, 2012
The film ultimately fails to treat history as anything but a string of melodramatic reference points for moody characters haplessly trying to find love. Read full review
40
Time OutDavid FearAug 14, 2012
A former stand-up comic, Miller lends a sense of puckish mischief to his tenderhearted, troubled Cupid, yet everything else about this drama - even the cultural and spirit-of-'68 historical touches - feels like Nesher is simply mashing several stock elements together and gracelessly parading them around. Read full review
More From This Movie

69 Critic Reviews

tbd User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL