A Matter of Size

Herzl is a big guy with some oversize problems to match his big heart. He's an out-of-work chef plodding toward middle age, he's unlucky in love, and he still lives with his brutally honest mom. (“You're getting too fat! I can't stand to look at you! There's more food in the fridge!”) His chain-smoking Weight Watchers facilitator kicks him out of her group for gaining weight. One day, Herzl and a few of his plumper buddies look in the mirror and decide they're tired of being the butt of Israeli society's fat jokes. They badger the Japanese owner of a sushi restaurant – who happens to be a former yakuza and sumo trainer – until he agrees to teach them to use their size to their advantage. All this multicultural collaboration spawns the world's first Israeli sumo squad. As the sumos-in-training jog through crowded marketplaces baring all but their loincloths, tanned and toned jaws begin to drop. A MATTER OF SIZE is a charming comedy that recommends you grab life's gusto with both hands and savor it for all it's worth. (In Hebrew and Japanese with subtitles) – B.B.