Valeria is Getting Married

Directed by Michal Vinik, Valeria is Getting Married follows Lena Fraifeld’s Christina, a Ukranian bride living in Israel with her husband (Yaakov Zada Daniel’s Michael), as she prepares to marry her sister (Dasha Tvoronovich’s Valeria) to an Israeli man named Eytan (Avraham Shalom Levi) – with complications ensuing after Valeria begins to experience a severe case of cold feet. Filmmaker Vinik, armed with her own screenplay, delivers a brisk drama that admittedly does take a little while to wholeheartedly get going, as the movie opens with a somewhat uninvolving and context-free opening stretch that prevents the viewer from connecting to the material or characters. It’s clear, then, that Valeria is Getting Married improves considerably once it settles into its real-time, surprisingly tense midsection, as the dynamic between the four protagonists grows more and more compelling as the narrative unfolds – with the compelling vibe heightened considerably by the various performers’ top-tier efforts. (Fraifeld is especially good as the increasingly conflicted Christina.) By the time the satisfying finale rolls around, Valeria is Getting Married has confirmed its place as a better-than-anticipated endeavor that’s ultimately (and effectively) able to transcend its filmed-play atmosphere.

*** out of ****