48 | SEPTEMBER 15 • 2022
ARTS&LIFE
FILM REVIEW
W
hat lengths
will people
go to for
those they love?
Simchas and Sorrows,
a new independent
comedy and drama set
for theatrical release on
Sept. 16 in Los Angeles
and digital release on
Sept. 20, grapples with
the age-old question
through the lens of
Judaism. No Michigan
dates have been set yet.
In this 116-minute film
by New York-based writer,
director and producer
Genevieve Adams, a
struggling atheist actress
named Agnes will stop
at nothing to convert to
Judaism to marry Levi, the
man she loves. Adams stars
in the film, playing the lead
role of Agnes.
As a former Catholic
school girl, Agnes falls into
a predicament that forces
her to make a life-changing
decision. She finds out she’s
pregnant — an unexpected
surprise — and makes
an attempt to convert to
Judaism for Levi, played by
Thomas McDonell.
Her reason: Agnes fears
she won’t be accepted by
Levi’s conservative Jewish
family.
The film follows the ups
and downs of the process,
and Agnes’ pregnancy, while
exploring what it means
to be (or in Agnes’ case,
become) Jewish. Together,
Agnes and Levi face
antisemitism, sibling rivalry,
family pressure and the idea
of interfaith marriage.
Tension only increases
when Levi’s parents,
Mortimer (Chip
Zien) and Maude
(Julie Halston), begin
to question Agnes’
commitment to Judaism.
Yet the skepticism was
set into place long before
Agnes came along, when
Levi’s estranged brother
married a woman who
refused to convert,
ultimately making life
much more difficult for
Agnes.
Conversion also proves
especially challenging for
Agnes, who has spent her
years questioning religion,
breaking the rules and
ultimately rebelling against
the idea of faith. She meets
with the progressive Rabbi
Cohen, who challenges
Agnes’ atheistic approach,
and learns about Judaism
through a viewpoint she
Film about an atheist
actress who attempts
to convert to Judaism
falls short.
Simchas
Sorrows
and
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Levi’s family at the
break-fast meal after
Yom Kippur.