“You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” presents a flawed, decadent universe — but one that is unapologetically, proudly Jewish. While the portrait of contemporary Judaism is not flattering, it is supremely confident. No one in the film bemoans being Jewish (except to lament having to memorize the Haftarah portion). So confident are the creators, in fact, that they don’t feel the Jewish enterprise is undermined by making the normative character a Christian. He’s there to set the Jews back on the right path, not supplant or replace them. 
 
Which makes “YASNITMB” an appropriate film for the High Holidays and its message of return, repentance and repair. In its world, Aleinu has come true, and everyone is Jewish. But like the blast of the shofar, Mateo is there to call them back to what it really means to be Jewish — to be, as the doctor tells Jack Lemmon’s character in “The Apartment” — a mensch. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allan-holender2/message