Only Human

Bringing home the boyfriend/fiancee to meet the parents for the first time is a nerve racking experience in itself, but what if you were bringing home your Palestinian fiancee you only met two months ago, and you're Jewish?

It's exactly this that Leni (Marian Aguilera) and Rafi (Guillermo Toledo) initially have to worry about when Leni brings him home to meet her family, but there wouldn't be much of a story if that was it. First of all, no one knows Rafi is Palestinian; they think he's Israeli. And although Leni's belly dancing sister couldn't care less where her younger sister's boyfriend comes from, their mother (Norma Aleandro) isn't as accepting and things quickly go from bad to worse. To escape the storm, Rafi offers to prepare the soup in the kitchen, which he accidentally drops out of the window onto the head of a passer-by, who may or may not be.... Leni's father! Hilarity and mayhem ensues, testing the true strength of not only familial bonds, but also Leni and Rafi's relationship.

The characters are very well developed and manage to complement each other in every scene. The young Aguilera is delightful as the optimistic Leni (not to mention gorgeous) and Toldeo comes across perfectly as the studious professor in way over his head. It is Aleandro, however, who steals the show as it becomes clear very quickly that although the focus of the film appears to be the young couple, it soon develops into a critique of her role as wife, mother and human being, something that she struggles with elegantly and with humour. The script is very well written, with no wasted opportunities for wit and innuendo, and the direction is deliberate and purposeful.

This is a sweet film to watch, an even better date film (if the person you're with is into subtitles) and highly recommended.