One of Us (2017)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Fantastic!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Great look inside stories that should be heard. However,it is very incorrect in basic facts which for a documentary are real make it or break it. It is a beautiful look into the lives of those who are struggling inside and out some of the most ultra hasidic communities. However the information provided about the hasidic world,sectors,groups and all aspects of their lives, Religion views of each of these groups and so on are simply not correct. Aside from this influencing the stories of those who should be heard,it also gives a very unrealistic vibe for anyone with knowledge about the Jewish world. Wrapping up dozens of different hasidic communities into the the term "hasidic world" "views" or even "religious laws" is poor reasearch and/or understanding at best if not tendentious. And that's what makes a dacumentry good or bad. Seeing as this is a documentary,well,it's pretty bad. Perhaps calling it "Leaving the Satmar world" (a cult like hasidic sect) Which according to the stories they all indeed were part of,would make this a 10 star review.

This documentary was life changing for me. It made me realize how lucky I am to be free of a world that made me so sad.And how easy I had it compared to others who left religion.Seeing the violence inflicted on Etty made me sick to my stomach.Seeing the community be willing to give her kids to a man who beat them because better they be battered religiously than be secular made me sick.Seeing the blacked out faces of little girls made me nauseous.Hearing how she was stalked and assaulted and how the community spied on her and ruined her life made me hatefully angry.Honestly, I can't believe we allow this in the US. We shouldn't.All religious communities need sunlight like this, this movie is a wake up call and worth seeing by everyone, but especially members of the community who need to clean up what is happening.

I have read several books on this topic, and each time I start "one of these books" (With two notable exceptions) I close it in sheer disgust. The story-line can always be summed up as "my excuse for leaving and why it's all your fault". A reasonable person might wonder why I cannot resist reading such books, and apparently watching this movie at 2:00AM. The simple answer is, that I am half a generation older than the authors, yet quietly, before it became popular to rebel, walked my path in silence and anonymity, away from the hell of my youth, to the lonely abyss of my adulthood. (Unfinished business) To be clear I was not raised a Chosid. just a simple "Yeshivish Jewish man". Several have suggested I pen my story. I do not intend to, as I do not think myself capable of an unbiased presentation. I love my creator, yet I struggle to keep some of the mitzvot. Daily I make an effort to turn my will and my life over to god, but can never entirely shake some of the chains of my youth. Religion still leaves a sour taste in my mouth… getting better daily... Enough about me!!! The reason for this review is that in my opinion, this movie is FAIR, presenting both the beauty of the orthodox community life, and the underbelly of abuse that permeates through our society, made all the worse, by the "god complex" of SOME rabbis. Most importantly the movie does not make excuses. Even Ari who was clearly traumatized by being molested, does not use this childhood occurrence as an excuse for his future choices. One must be a fool not to realize the obvious correlation, as a reason for his life choices, yet his character conveys strength and indicates that the betrayal of youth need not be permanent. An important lesson for all from any walk of life.Orthodox Judaism is a great privilege and in my mind, produces many of the greatest people on the face of this earth. Most religious Jews are kind, many are very generous, some are super honest, with a few acquiring extreme intelligence. The system is not broken, but it does require adjustments. Halacha has always been based on majority opinion. A majority of one only works for God. Absolute power corrupts, and no man should have that kind of power over any group of people. (We are a religion not a cult) The second perhaps more important lesson I took from this movie is that we ought to love "Hitlers Jew". The fuhrer, may he continue to suffer in extreme pain for all eternity, did not dismiss any Jew based on how religious they were or were not, and neither should we. I choose to try and support and love all Jews (All people really) and always avoid judging the individual. (Actions can certainly be judged) This is an important story with excellent lessons and I highly recommend watching it. Wishing success, and serenity to Luzer, Etty and Ari!

I just want to say first and foremost that I am in awe of the three featured individuals. Etty, Luzer, and Arye/Ari are former members of Brooklyn's Hasidic Jewish community who, for various reasons, and out of varying degrees of excruciating horror or sadness, have chosen to leave the only community they've ever known—a community that eschews formal education, job skill-building, or co-mingling with a 21st-century secular world. In effect, by choosing to use the Internet or eat cheeseburgers or enter a public library, formerly Hasidic Jews in New York face complete isolation and ostracism.All three stories are heartbreaking in their own ways, and each person was heroic in their willingness to challenge and question a system that does not celebrate America's "rugged individualism." It's no doubt hard for many of us in the secular world to grasp just how complicated it may be to confront such a world. But the real heroism is within Etty, an extraordinarily articulate woman with such steely resolve and fierce affection for her seven children by an abusive husband she barely knew before marrying. It's a mystery how she became so strong, especially given what happens during the course of the film, but she deserves a standing ovation for never losing sight of her principles and her humanity.Beautifully shot and scored, this film is a thoughtfully constructed and deeply humane exploration of the role of the American Hasidic community in the wake of the Holocaust. I hope there is a follow-up film from the same creators.