A lot of the film is just downright silly.
Comment
09/17/07
Shem (2006)
9 %
Reviews Counted: 11 Fresh: 1 Rotten:10 Average Rating: 4.4/10
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Synopsis: Daniel, an arrogant, restless young Londoner is bored with his meaningless life. When he seeks sympathy from his old Jewish grandmother, she sends him on a mission to Europe to find the grave of her father who disappeared during the Second World War. Following his great grandfather's... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Ash Newman, Geraldine de Bastion, Cyrielle Claire, Istvan Szabo, Arturo Brachetti
Reviews
1 - 11 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
scenic and interesting in a Rough Guide to Eastern Europe sort of way
01/28/07
Roboh's moralistic paean to Jewish self-knowledge is so solemnly high-minded that one almost feels bad admitting that the film's only spark comes from its occasional tawdry ludicrousness.
06/29/06
Daniel's character transformation, however limited (he ranges from complete to partial arrogant jerk), is far more credible than any of the film's half-baked attempts at morphing into a conspiracy thriller involving his great-grandfather.
06/01/06
Top Critic
Several things are missing in Shem, most apparently a consistent tone of voice.
06/01/06
The result of Cave just letting it rip is a western that's a mix of Unforgiven, everything by Sam Peckinpah, Deadwood at its most profane and a rabid dog gnawing on your leg while you're running away.
05/26/06
Perhaps the most distinctive thing about Caroline Roboh's rambling follow-up to her 1983 debut Clementine Tango is that it features one of the least likable protagonists ever.
05/26/06
A pointless hodgepodge, with a finale that will leave viewers scratching their heads.
05/26/06
A muddle of good intentions and bad direction, this amateurish road movie follows a young Brit across Europe as he reconnects with his Jewish roots.
05/26/06
Shem is the flipside of the similarly juvenile My Summer of Love--condescending about sex and ostensibly reverential to faith.
05/22/06
1 - 11 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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