Disobedience (2017 film)

Disobedience is a 2017 romantic drama film directed by Sebastián Lelio and written by Lelio and Rebecca Lenkiewicz, based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Naomi Alderman. The film stars Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, and Alessandro Nivola. Set in North London, it tells the story of a woman who returns to the strict Orthodox Jewish community for her father's funeral after living in New York for many years, having been estranged from her father and ostracised by the community for a reason that becomes clearer as the story unfolds. The film was produced by Weisz, Ed Guiney, and Frida Torresblanco.

Disobedience
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySebastián Lelio
Screenplay by
Based onDisobedience
by Naomi Alderman
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDanny Cohen
Edited byNathan Nugent
Music byMatthew Herbert
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 10 September 2017 (2017-09-10) (TIFF)
  • 27 April 2018 (2018-04-27) (United States)
  • 30 November 2018 (2018-11-30) (United Kingdom)
Running time
114 minutes
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • Ireland
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million[1]
Box office$8.0 million[2]

Disobedience had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2017. It was released in the United States on 27 April 2018, by Bleecker Street and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 30 November 2018, by Curzon Artificial Eye.

The film received some positive reviews, with critics praising the performances of Weisz, McAdams, and Nivola, Lelio's direction, and the screenplay. It was nominated for the British Independent Film Awards, GLAAD Media Awards, and Dorian Awards for Best Picture.

United Kingdom rating company British Board of Film Classification has rated the movie 15 (for strong sex).[3]

Plot

New York photographer Ronit (known as Ronnie in the United States) returns to her childhood home in North London after her father, the old Rav Krushka succumbs to pneumonia. Ronit is uncomfortable seeing everyone again since she was banished from the community for behaving in a manner not conforming to Orthodox culture.

Ronit is shocked to learn that her childhood friends Dovid, a chosen disciple of her father, and Esti, are now married. Dovid invites Ronit to stay with them. They attend Shabbat dinner at her uncle Moshe's house where she is questioned by the guests about changing her name, and they tell her she should get married, because that is what is right. Ronit tells them if she had stayed in London she probably would have been married off, but she would have been suicidal.

Ronit, accompanied by Esti, visits Moshe at his office to discuss the disposition of her father's house and discovers her father has left all of his possessions to the synagogue. Upset, Esti tenderly kisses Ronit, who initially resists before reciprocating. Esti confesses to having asked Ronit to be notified of her father's death out of a desire to see her again. She also reveals her unhappiness with her life choices, taken based on the Rav's advice and her strong belief in HaShem. It is revealed that Ronit and Esti were caught in a romantic tryst when they were younger, leading Ronit to leave the United Kingdom; neither has been with another woman since.

On the way home, they stop at a nearby park and kiss again, but are spotted by a couple from the congregation. The next day Esti, who works as a teacher at the local Jewish school, is called into the headmistress' office after the couple deliver a complaint about what they saw. Meanwhile, Dovid is asked to take over the Rav's duties. Ronit tells Esti she is leaving London, and the two of them sneak away to a hotel room in central London for passionate sex.

When Esti arrives home, she turns down Dovid when he tries to initiate intimacy. She later tells him the truth about her feelings for Ronit, causing him to leave. Esti later purchases a pregnancy test and discovers she is pregnant. The next morning, Dovid calls Ronit and says that Esti is missing. They spend the day looking for her and, when they return home, Esti has come back; she asks Dovid for her freedom, stating that she wants to give her unborn child a chance to decide whether or not to be part of their community.

Ronit and Esti attend the Rav's hesped (eulogy gathering), which is to be given by Dovid. Under the guise of addressing the congregation, he releases Esti from their marriage and then publicly turns down the offer of becoming the congregation's new spiritual guide. Esti finds him outside and they embrace. Dovid motions for Ronit to join them, finally reconciling their old friendship.

Ronit departs for New York, cordially bidding Dovid and Esti goodbye. As Ronit's cab is driving away, Esti chases it down and gives her a final kiss. Ronit tells Esti that she will be a brilliant mother, and they confess their love for each other. Esti promises to let Ronit know where she goes. Before going to the airport, Ronit makes a detour to her father's grave to bid him a final goodbye after taking a picture of his grave.

Cast

Production

Development

On 29 September 2016, it was reported that Rachel Weisz was set to produce[1] and star in an adaptation of the Naomi Alderman novel Disobedience; with Ed Guiney and Frida Torresblanco as co-producers, and Sebastián Lelio directing from a script by Lelio and Rebecca Lenkiewicz.[4] On 4 October 2016, Rachel McAdams joined the cast,[5] followed by Alessandro Nivola as McAdams's husband on 7 December 2016.[6] The film was co-financed by Film4 Productions and FilmNation Entertainment.[7] Matthew Herbert joined the production to compose the film score.[8]

Filming

Principal photography on the Irish-British-American production began on 3 January 2017.[7] Filming locations in London included Golders Green,[9] Cricklewood[10] and Hendon.[11]

Release

In May 2017, Curzon Artificial Eye acquired U.K. distribution rights from FilmNation Entertainment, and international distribution rights were acquired by Roadshow (Australia), Mars Films (France), Cinema SRL (Italy), Lev Films (Israel), Pathé (Switzerland), and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for various territories.[12] Bleecker Street acquired the U.S. distribution rights in September 2017,[13] and Mongrel Media acquired the rights for Canada.[14]

Disobedience had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2017.[15][16] The film premiered in the United States at the Tribeca Film Festival in the Spotlight Narrative section on 24 April 2018.[17][18][19] The film was released theatrically in the U.S. as a limited release on 27 April 2018,[20][21] in Australia on 14 June[22] and on 30 November in the United Kingdom.[23][24]

The United Kingdom rating company British Board of Film Classification has rated the movie 15 (for strong sex).[3] By contrast the German rating company FSK has rated the movie FSK 0 (released without age restriction).[25]

Reception

Box office

Disobedience grossed $3.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $4.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $8.0 million.[2]

The film debuted in five cinemas in New York City and Los Angeles and made $241,276 in its opening weekend (a per-venue average of $48k), ranking as the fourth-best opening average for the year to that point, after Isle Of Dogs ($60k), Avengers: Infinity War ($55k) and Black Panther ($50k).[26]

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 84% based on 209 reviews, and an average rating of 7.20/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Disobedience explores a variety of thought-provoking themes, bolstered by gripping work from leads Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, and Alessandro Nivola."[27] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28]

Andrew Barker of Variety gave the film a positive review, writing that Disobedience "may not catapult Lelio beyond the arthouse world, but it's yet another triumph in what's shaping up to be a major career."[29] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the film a positive review writing, "Beautifully acted by Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams and Alessandro Nivola as the three points of a melancholy romantic triangle, this is a deeply felt drama that exerts a powerful grip."[30]

Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4, describing it as "a gorgeously acted, written and directed spellbinder...that never preaches or judges. Without dialogue, Lelio creates a whole world that can be read eloquently and movingly on the faces of two superb actresses who give unstintingly to its creation."[31]

David Ehrlich from IndieWire praised the importance of the subject, the outstanding acting and good direction, saying: "A fraught and emotionally nuanced love story about the tension between the life we’re born into and the one we want for ourselves...Both Weisz and McAdams do a phenomenal job of negotiating who their characters are versus who their characters feel as though they have to be...Lelio builds to a beautiful and powerfully ambiguous moment that brings all the major characters together."[32]

Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian praised the performances, direction, and score saying, "Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams and Alessandro Nivola are at the top of their game...The drama is expertly controlled by Lelio, lit and shot in muted and subdued colour tones by cinematographer Danny Cohen and it has a very interesting musical score by Matthew Herbert...This is richly satisfying and powerfully acted work."[33]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient/nominee Result Ref
British Independent Film Awards 2 December 2018 Best British Independent Film Sebastián Lelio, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Frida Torresblanco, Ed Guiney, Rachel Weisz Nominated [34][35]
Best Screenplay Sebastián Lelio / Rebecca Lenkiewicz Nominated
Best Actress Rachel Weisz Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Alessandro Nivola Won
Best Supporting Actress Rachel McAdams Nominated

See also

References
  1. Turner, Kyle (27 April 2018). "Weisz Beyond Her Years: From Optioned Novel to Arthouse Drama, Rachel Weisz Nurtured Disobedience at Every Stage". MovieMaker. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  2. "Disobedience". Box Office Mojo. April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  3. "DISOBEDIENCE | British Board of Film Classification". bbfc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  4. Kroll, Justin (29 September 2016). "Rachel Weisz to Produce and Star in Adaptation of Naomi Alderman Novel 'Disobedience' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  5. Kroll, Justin (4 October 2016). "Rachel McAdams to Star With Rachel Weisz in Love Story 'Disobedience' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  6. Hipes, Patrick (7 December 2016). "Alessandro Nivola In Talks To Join Rachel Weisz & Rachel McAdams In 'Disobedience'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  7. Wiseman, Andreas (27 October 2016). "FilmNation, Film4 team on 'Disobedience'". Screen Daily. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  8. filmmusicreporter (28 July 2017). "Matthew Herbert Scoring Sebastian Lelio's 'Disobedience'". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  9. Tizianita (15 September 2019). "Disobedience at Hoop Lane - filming location - SCEEN IT". SCEEN IT. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  10. Raffray, Natalie (9 January 2017). "Film crews descend on Cricklewood to shoot big budget movie Disobedience". Brent & Kilburn Times. Archant Community Media. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  11. St Morris, Michelle (5 February 2017). "Hey, film stars, we're frum, not frumps". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  12. Hopewell, John (23 May 2017). "Cannes: FilmNation Sells Out Internationally on 'Disobedience,' Untitled Julianne Moore Project (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  13. Galuppo, Mia (27 September 2017). "Bleecker Street Picks Up 'Disobedience' Starring Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  14. Mongrel Media [@MongrelMedia] (1 February 2018). "Sebastián Lelio (A Fantastic Woman, Gloria) directs Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams in this adaptation of Naomi Alderman's novel about a woman who returns home to her orthodox Jewish community in London and rekindles a romance with her cousin's wife. DISOBEDIENCE opens MAY 2018!" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 May 2018 – via Twitter.
  15. "Disobedience". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  16. Toronto International Film Festival [@TIFF_NET] (10 September 2017). "A shining Rachel Weisz, here for the #TIFF17 World Premiere of Sebastián Lelio's lesbian romance DISOBEDIENCE" (Tweet). Retrieved 29 April 2018 – via Twitter.
  17. "Disobedience". Tribeca Film Festival. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  18. Yoshida, Emily; Edelstein, David (18 April 2018). "17 Films You Should See at This Year's Tribeca Film Festival". Vulture. New York Media. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  19. @tribeca (7 March 2018). "#Tribeca2018's Spotlight Narrative section is a launching pad for exciting new independent premieres with a focus on marquee filmmakers and performers. This year, we are honored to showcase artists like @DesireeeAkhavan, @SLelio, @MariannaPalka, and more" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 September 2018 – via Twitter.
  20. Brooks, Brian (26 April 2018). "Tribeca Bow 'Disobedience' Hits Theaters; Claire Denis & Juliette Binoche 'Let The Sunshine In' – Specialty B.O. Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  21. N'Duka, Amanda (26 October 2017). "Bleecker Street Sets Release Dates For 'What They Had', 'Disobedience' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  22. "Australian Release Dates – Upcoming Movies and Cinema Schedules". The Reel Bits. June 2018. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  23. "Disobedience". Launching Films. Film Distributors' Association. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  24. Curzon Artificial Eye [@ArtificialEye] (8 May 2018). "Hi there, we'll release Disobedience in the UK on 30 November. It is a little later than in other territories, but we always pick the best date we can to give a film the best chance to be seen" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 May 2018 – via Twitter.
  25. "Official and signed FSK document of rating movie DISOBEDIENCE".
  26. D'Alessandro, Anthony (29 April 2018). "'Avengers: Infinity War' Conquering 'Force Awakens' With Record $248M-$250M Opening; Posts Record $82M Saturday". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  27. "Disobedience". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  28. "Disobedience". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  29. Barker, Andrew (11 September 2017). "Toronto Film Review: 'Disobedience'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  30. Rooney, David (10 September 2017). "'Disobedience': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  31. Travers, Peter (26 April 2018). "'Disobedience' Review: Forbidden-Love Romance Is Scorching – and Feast For Its Stars". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  32. Ehrlich, David (11 September 2017). "'Disobedience' Review: Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams Shine in the Orthodox Jewish 'Carol'". IndieWire. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  33. Bradshaw, Peter (10 September 2017). "Disobedience review – Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams impress in powerful love story". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  34. "Nominations: The Awards 2018". British Independent Film Awards. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  35. Clarke, Stewart (2 December 2018). "'The Favourite' Reigns at British Independent Film Awards". Variety. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
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