A Matter of Size Review

I love Saskatoon's Broadway Theatre because it allows me to learn about movies like this.  Having never seen an Israeli movie before, I did not know what to expect.  What I ended up getting was a very entertaining and heartwarming story about four overweight friends who are tired of being ridiculed in society so they form a sumo wrestling club because Sumos are revered in Japan.  I may have liked this film more than many others for the simple fact that I could relate well to the characters.  Being a very overweight guy myself, I could really see where they were coming from and I know their frustration.  I also know that much of that frustration is self-inflicted which is addressed in this film.  So I wanted nothing more than to see them succeed and find their acceptance.  While Size does show the societal prejudices towards overweight people, it also reveals that anyone can find acceptance for who they are and that the prejudices are not universal.  There will always be people who will accept you for who you are.  You just have to be willing to find them.

Anyways, back to the movie.  As I said, I didn't know what to expect from a cultural standpoint.  As it turns out, this could easily have been a North American indie film.  There is none of the cultural confusion that usually comes from films from other countries.  The four friends carpool and hang out at a restaurant that just happens to specialize in shawarma rather than coffee or alcohol.  The whole sumo story also is not much more than Cool Runnings.  It has the four guys trying to bring a non-traditional sport to their country by using a reluctant coach.  It did not stylize the story in a Hollywood fashion because it isn't a Hollywood movie.  Instead, it interspersed intelligent humour with an underlying message which made it all seem more realistic.  (Ironically, Cool Runnings is the one based on a true story.)

This isn't a landmark movie.  There is nothing earth shattering about it that will make it a classic.  But, it is an excellent feel good movie.  If you like heartwarming stories with down to earth characters, see it.  It is one of the better ones in that genre.  Even if that is not your favourite genre, I say see it if you get the opportunity.  You will come away with a good feeling.