An American Pickle

"Please keep this pace, please keep this pace", I kept wishing for the film after the incredible first 15 minutes, but alas, in vain. It had the makings of an almost Funès-esque comedy with satirical undertones, yet it ultimately failed. I'm not saying I didn't have fun with the rest of An American Pickle; the Frankenstein-esque first canning scene was amazing, for example. It's just that in all other respects it was so predictable: Tweety, almost everything with Ben, etc. That said, Seth Rogen is great, Sarah Snook was wonderful yet again (we just didn’t see enough of her), and I really liked the unknown Molly Evensen as Herschel's intern. However, I absolutely have to sing the praises of the music – the most Jewish soundtrack I've heard since Schindler's List, and the funniest Jewish soundtrack since The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob. (23/08/2020)

Exactly the kind of film that, in the age of online streaming, has no chance of making it to theaters and will go straight to VOD. Otherwise, the movie is to be consumed like fast food - despite a few good jokes, there really is no memorable moment and you won’t remember it in a week. (30/11/2020)

The premise is unbelievably bizarre but it’s a nice chill-out comedy for these COVID-19 times. You will rest while watching it, enjoy it and Seth Rogen even adds a few Jewish jokes which are not hard to get, all the while an enjoyable soundtrack is playing at the background as if from some Pesach celebration. (07/09/2020)

While watching this Pickle I was reminded of two different films: Ted (yes, that Ted with Mark Wahlberg) and the German satire Look Who's Back, where Hitler wakes up in the present. American Pickle is reminiscent of the former in the way it approaches its world and the main character, who shouldn’t be alive – after he awakes, they give a scientific explanation, which the viewer gets to hear, and everyone is satisfied and stops thinking about it (as they say in Ted, “Nobody gives a f*ck”). The similarities with the second film can be found in the feelings of the “dead” protagonist in the new era and also in his learning about the social and economic system and the politically and religiously shaped environment. Thus, overlapping several genres, the film establishes a conflict that on the external level develops between the two main characters and their respective approaches to modern society, while on the inner level, and within the structure of the work, it relies on the oscillation between the historical context of Jewish traditions and a social dramedy about a man whose ignorance gives an impression of elusive genius. In this sense, the film is not at all badly put together and both levels fall perfectly into place in their wholesome frame, unfortunately, though, they are not sufficiently elaborate and coherent on their own. After the peculiar establishment and encounter of the two protagonists, the story goes on to alternate between both planes in a pretty manipulative fashion, and though Hershel’s journey towards fame and controversy is entertaining and original, the conflict with his descendant lacks depth, and all the dramatic moments are overwhelmed by the comedic bits. Inevitably, the film leaves the strong aftertaste of the unfulfilled potential of its interesting premise – the humorous musings over the persistent social segregation and the influence of the internet are good, but they are quite quickly exhausted and lack a more solid line of argument. In short, it’s an effective comedy with dramatic tones that inevitably suffers from simplification. Thumbs up, but only for a new take on time travel of the kind a would have only expected from Rick and Morty. 65% (19/09/2020)

If I was Jewish, I might have liked this more. After an excellent opening, the action slows down when we arrive in the present and, even though Rogen delivers one funny scene after another, he just can’t escape from his constant moralizing. The pickling is like something out of a demonic horror flick and the subsequent brutal hype doesn’t seem unrealistic to me even though it was intended to be tongue-in-cheek. The Pickle lacks momentum and high-impact scenes, but it’s fun and makes for a pleasant viewing experience. (31/08/2020)