“Dorfman in Love” a Rom-Com for Jewish Girls
By Skip Sheffield
“Dorfman in Love” is a “check flick” with an offbeat
heroine and a target audience.
Deb Dorfman (Sara Rue) is a single, 27-year-old woman stuck
with the thankless task of caring for her depressed, recently widowed father
Burt (Elliot Gould) while working as an accountant for her arrogant, manipulative
brother Dan (Jonathan), who takes advantage of her. The only joy in Deb’s drab
life in the uncool part of Los Angeles
is her imaginary love affair with Jay (Johann Urb), a good-looking, vain, globe-trotting TV
journalist who also takes advantage of her.
You may be wondering where are the laughs so far? Unless you
find Elliot Gould endless kvetching amusing, there are precious few.
The catalyst for change in Wendy Kout’s (“Mork & Mindy,”
“Anything but Love”) script is Deb’s temporary role as cat-sitter for
unappreciative Jay. He lives in an unfurnished converted industrial building in
a dicey part of L.A. Jay has never really unpacked his belongings, let alone
decorated his huge apartment.
Deb takes it upon herself to surprise Jay by refinishing his
living space. She accomplishes this with the help of a hunky neighbor who calls
himself Cookie (Haaz Sleiman). Cookie is a dark, swarthy chap originally from Egypt . Deb is
Jewish, with all that implies. Though she initially resists, Deb finds Cookie’s
charm irresistible, much to the chagrin of his very New York Jewish father and her dishonest,
conniving brother.
Cookie inspires Deb to do a makeover, and a swan begins to
emerge. Compared to the petty, selfish characters around her, Deb is a princess
who deserves her prince.
Yes, “Dorfman in Love” is a fairy tale aimed at, but not
restricted to Jewish girls. It is nice to see Elliot Gould doing his comic shtick
again. Sara Rue is quite appealing in an unconventional way, as is Haaz Sleiman
handsome and gallant rather than the typical unflattering Arab stereotype.
Directed by 27-year-old whiz kid Brad Leong, who made his
Tribeca Film Festival debut at the unprecedented age of 21, “Dorfman in Love”
is a slight but ultimately rewarding pleasure.
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