Itzhak Movie Review

ITZHAK
Greenwich
Reviewed by: Sol Boxenbaum
Director: Alison Chernick
Cast: Itzhak Perlman, Toby Perlman, Alan Alda, Amnon Weisntein, Stefan Valcuha, Billy Joel, Zubin Mehta, Pinchas Zukerman, Evgeny Kissin, the Klezmatics
Currently showing at Odeon Cinema

Cavendish Mall Montreal

In this age of blockbuster movie releases about Superheroes. impossible missions, heists, etc. how refreshing to find a documentary about one of the greatest violinists of all time, Itzhak Perlman. All of the characters in this film are real. The only “actor” in the film is Alan Alda who appears as himself, an actual friend of Itzhak.

Through brilliant editing we are taken back and forth in times that take us from the child to the current day Itzhak, from Israel to New York City, from the Ed Sullivan Show to the Lincoln Center with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and to Yankee stadium where he performs the National Anthem in front of tens of thousands of baseball fans.

Perlman is a charmer and so is his wife, Toby. She appears at his side and chats with the audience about cooking, about her husband of course, and how they met and she fell in instant love with him. Eventually we get to meet his children and his grand children. We see him as a student at Julliard and later a teacher at the same institution.

Throughout the film we are treated to parts from the output of  Tchaikowski, Bruch, Vivaldi,Strauss, Mendelsohn, Mozart,Bach, Schubert and others. We get to hear a performance of the theme from Schindler’s List, and finally for contrast, a Klesmer number. Regrettably then,  the credits begin to roll. Nobody seemed to be in a rush to leave their seat. Do not miss this film. It has all the ingredients required to be nominated for an Oscar for best documentary.