A Matter of Size (2009)

85% of critics liked it
(13 reviews)
75% of users liked it
(233 ratings)

An overweight, underemployed chef from Ramala discovers the fine art of sumo wrestling after landing a job as a dishwasher at a Japanese restaurant. Herzl (Itzik Cohen) still lives at home with his mother. Unable to find any job other than washing dishes, Herzl goes to work at a Japanese restaurant.… More An overweight, underemployed chef from Ramala discovers the fine art of sumo wrestling after landing a job as a dishwasher at a Japanese restaurant. Herzl (Itzik Cohen) still lives at home with his mother. Unable to find any job other than washing dishes, Herzl goes to work at a Japanese restaurant. There, he notices the employees gathered around the television watching sumo wrestling. Frustrated with his weight-loss group, Herzl sees sumo wrestling as a revelation; it's the one sport on the planet where his weight is actually an advantage. But sumo wrestling isn't as easy as it looks on television, and in order to become the first Jewish sumo wrestler Herzl will enlist the aid of three hefty friends who aren't afraid to throw their weight around. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: Sharon Maymon, Erez Tadmor
Written By: Sharon Maymon
Genres: Drama, Sports & Fitness, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 19, 2010 Wide
On DVD: Dec 6, 2011
Studio: Menemsha Films

Critic Reviews

Kate Taylor, Globe and Mail
Those elements make it hard to slot the movie into the happy category of quirky charmer and yet, while intriguing, they are never significant enough for the film to take on a larger personality.
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star
An amusingly lightweight Israeli comedy about rebellious fatties who decide to use their heft for a greater purpose, A Matter of Size will have you ordering your popcorn with extra butter and refusing to feel guilty about it.
Rachel Saslow, Washington Post
Herzl's approach might not be great for one's cholesterol or blood pressure, but it brings up an intriguing idea, one that isn't talked about often...: Maybe it would be better to be fat and happy than thin and miserable.
Alissa Simon, Variety
Part sports drama, part love story, this sweetly absurd tale of forlorn blue-collar guys pursuing a difficult goal... recalls audience-pleasing fare such as The Full Monty.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
We're meant to like these men, and we do, more or less, but they've been simplified for easy digestion.
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
The humour in A Matter of Size is somewhat puerile, but the film does cover important social issues in its own gentle way.
Norman Wilner, NOW Toronto
Directors Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor avoid the temptation to remake The Full Monty, focusing instead on how physical training forces the characters to confront their buried psychological issues.
Don Groves, sbs.com.au
Israeli dramedy fights above its weight.
John Hartl, Seattle Times
While the story may take place in working-class Israel in the 21st century, rejection is universal. So are most attempts to come to terms with it. Still, there's more than a little novelty value in the choices its characters make.
James Verniere, Boston Herald
In the likable, if paradoxically lightweight Israeli comedy "A Matter of Size," an Israeli salad bar chef rejects the notion he needs to lose weight and learns to love himself.
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix
A big charmer.
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
...it's gentle humor and band of underdogs will surely bring a smile. It's a unique cross-cultural comedy.
Brandon Judell, CultureCatch
This big-bellied comedy proves once and for all the Jewish proverb "Worries go down better with soup.