A retired plumber and Holocaust survivor (Judd Hirsch) embraces life after getting an iPhone. Also starring Sean Astin and Carol Kane.
Judd Hirsch goes full out in a sweet but mawkishly sentimental tribute to heritage and family. iMordecai pushes a retired Jewish plumber and painter into the modern world when his son buys him an iPhone. The digital embrace unleashes a new joie de vivre and at the same time evokes memories of escaping the Holocaust as a child. iMordecai then adds a good portion of schmaltz with laborious subplots that water down the story.
A frustrated Marvin Samel (Sean Astin) drives to his parents' Miami Beach apartment. Mordecai (Hirsch) cannot hear his son. He uses a jackhammer to break open the bathroom and has an old flip phone held together with aluminum foil. Marvin forces Mordecai and his mother, Fela (Carol Kane), to the mall.
Mordecai refuses to even look at the iPhone, but is impressed by a demonstration in the store. Nina (Azia Dinea Hale) teaches how to use apps to create art. Marvin buys the phone for his father. They argue over Marvin's struggling cigar business. Mordechai mortgaged their apartment to keep it afloat. Marvin thinks his father is "a curse." He has newborn twins and a wife (Stephanie J. Block) who is worried about rising bills.
Lose everything
Mordecai returns to the store to get help. Nina, who also volunteers at the Jewish Community Center, offers to teach him how to use it. They become friends, much to Fela's chagrin. She overhears Mordecai talking to Siri and gets the wrong idea. As Mordechai rocks Beats headphones and scours the internet, he tells Nina about his childhood in Poland. His family was sent to extermination camps when he fled to Russia. Nina is terrified to tell Mordecai her secret. Marvin is about to lose everything, but Fela becomes Mordecai's main concern.
Marvin Samel directs/co-writes a story inspired by his own family. He uses animation to depict the events of World War II. It's a visual break and a tool to deal with the darkness of Mordecai's childhood. This initially works but becomes less effective as the movie progresses. Mordecai's colorful antics interspersed with cartoon sadness do not have the desired effect. Hirsch is more than capable of delivering a structured performance. His voice-over narration rather than physical emotion robs the film of dramatic weight. I can understand Sam's desire to avoid fear. iMordecai is intended to be comedic, but deals with serious themes. Hirsch, Oscar-nominated for The Fableswould have been dynamite to express such a tragic loss.
Good intentions
The supporting characters have too much going on. Marvin's business dealings take up a lot of time. A father who uses everything to support his son adds weight. Nina, a completely incredible character, is the deciding factor. Her backstory and reason for helping Mordecai is a big piece. Samel had to reduce her involvement to just an iPhone teacher. Then focus on Mordecai reconnecting with his family and the Holocaust memorial. The broad approach does not work. The movie has good intentions, but goes overboard in its attempt to tick all the boxes.
iMordecai is a production of Femor, Buffalo 8 and Chaos Emporium. It is currently in theatrical release from Greenwich Entertainment.
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