''Paradise Grove'' is an independent 2003

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

filmed in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Much of the film is based in a fictional

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

retirement home. It stars

Ron Moody Ron Moody (born Ronald Moodnick; 8 January 1924 – 11 June 2015) was an English actor, composer, singer and writer. He was best known for his portrayal of Fagin in ''Oliver!'' (1968) and its 1983 Broadway revival. Moody earned a Golden Globe ...

and

Rula Lenska Rula Lenska (born Róża Maria Leopoldyna Łubieńska, 30 September 1947) is a British actress. She mainly appears in British stage and television productions and is known in the United States for a series of television advertisements in the 19 ...

. It was directed by Charles Harris and was his first feature film.

Synopsis

A quirky film about life, death, and the bit in the middle, Paradise Grove is a beguiling blend of tragedy, romance, and wry Jewish wit. Set in an eccentric north London Jewish old age home, the film revolves around three generations of the same family. There's cantankerous old Izzie Goldberg (Ron Moody), who's dying and is not at all happy about it, his hedonistic daughter Dee (Rula Lenska), the home's owner, a cross between a Sixties flower child and a traditional Jewish mother—and there's her teenage age son Keith (Leyland O'Brien), the mixed-race outcome of a disastrous marriage. Keith's identity crisis forms the film's emotional core: he's trying to build personal and religious bridges with his grandfather while starting a relationship with the mysterious Kim (Lee Blakemore), who turns up one morning looking for shelter, and who offers the promise of a life outside Paradise Grove. He'd love to get away from his domineering mother but can he abandon Izzie? And why does Kim keep a loaded gun in her handbag?2008 - 2009 Vancouver Jewish Film Festival

Reception

Reviews

"Sensitively moving between playful humour and serious drama..."

Raindance Film Festival Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates in major cities including London, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin, and Brussels. The festival was established in 1992 by Elliot Grove to ...

"A jewel that will shine for years to come..." Notes From Hollywood "Sharply observed and often hilarious..." London Jewish Chronicle

Accolades

The film garnered several awards and nominations; *WINNER BEST NEW DIRECTOR CHARLES HARRIS (Palm Springs Festival of Festivals) *TOP FIVE AUDIENCE FAVORITES (Palm Springs Festival of Festivals) *WINNER BRONZE AWARD FOR FIRST FILM (Houston WorldFest) *TOP THREE AUDIENCE FAVOURITES (Commonwealth Film Festival) *NOMINATED BEST FILM (

British Independent Film Awards The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) is an organisation that celebrates, supports and promotes British independent cinema and filmmaking talent in United Kingdom. Nominations for the annual awards ceremony are announced in early November, ...

)

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 0207002, Paradise Grove 2003 films 2003 comedy-drama films British comedy-drama films British black comedy films British independent films Films about Jews and Judaism 2003 black comedy films 2003 independent films 2000s English-language films 2000s British films