Mikey (Max Abe Plush) is about to turn twelve years old, and he’s not quite sure how to celebrate, but his parents have some ideas. His mother, Ellen (Rachel Lynn Jackson), wants Mikey to begin preparing for his Bar Mitzvah next year by studying the Torah and dedicating himself to Judaism, while his father, Peter (Timothy J. Cox) has different plans. Peter is Catholic and would like Mikey to decide to dedicate himself to Catholicism. Mikey has seemingly made up his mind about which direction he would like to go in terms of his future religious endeavors, but Choosing Sides will prove to be far more difficult than he had imagined.
I haven’t belly laughed at a film from beginning to end in a long time. I often find myself simply absorbing the content and thinking “that’s funny” rather than physically laughing out loud (I know, that’s odd, and my wife comments on it regularly). However, with Choosing Sides, not only was I able to appreciate the direct and in-your-face comedy, I reacted in a way that many would consider appropriately to each of the jokes being told. I couldn’t help myself as I sat in front of my computer screen struggling to contain my enthusiasm not to constantly laugh out loud. Choosing Sides instantly became a film that could lighten my mood and make my day. That may not be the case for everyone, however, as there are sure to be some viewers that find Choosing Sides antagonistic and offensive, but I’m part of the former.
The entirety of Choosing Sides debates which religion is better, Catholisicm or Judaism, and neither party, Ellen nor Peter, are willing to pull punches. I was raised Catholic, attended Catholic school for the better part of my formative years, and was married in a Catholic church by my wife’s uncle--a priest, but I’m not blind to the challenges that members of the Catholic church face, and I understand that the religion is far from perfect. The reality is that not everyone understands this, however, and those individuals that put their religions on this impossible pedestal are sure to be in for a rough ride. If I’m being honest, though, I love this about Choosing Sides; I love the fact that it antagonizes others and forces them to look inward, because that’s what allows progress to occur. Tell me everything that’s wrong so that I can identify how to fix it, and that’s just what Choosing Sides does...but, again, there are viewers that don’t see things this way, and those are the people that must avoid this genius film.
The acting is superb. Both Cox and Jackson are tasked with being gung ho throughout the course of Choosing Sides. Their enthusiasm is expressly important in Lee Loechler’s film, as the constant sarcasm and strong judgements of opposing religions shine throughout its entirety and allow the comedy to come to life. The two never relent, constantly giving one-hundred percent and slowly but surely demeaning every aspect of Catholicism and Judaism alike. Choosing Sides is filmed somewhat like an interrogation, adding another level of hilarity and meaningfulness.
The film in many ways is overbearing as it crushes everything you know about religion and parenting, but in the best ways possible, and that brings me to my next point: Choosing Sides blends the struggles of religion and parenthood to create something wildly hilarious. The melding of those two themes opens viewers’ eyes to the reality of those institutions and forces them to ask questions about their own lives.
Choosing Sides allows viewers to look inward, question themselves and those around them, and belly laugh from beginning to end. Not a moment passes that viewers (the ones who can tolerate the brutal bashing of religion) feel disconnected from Choosing Sides, and the film is guaranteed to entertain. There’s no way around it, Choosing Sides is brutal, and it will surely make some viewers uncomfortable; but that’s part of the film’s beauty. It’s raw, honest, and unwilling to dial itself back in order to appease an audience. Loechler’s film is nothing short of brilliant, and the eye opener that many around the world need.
Directed by Lee Loechler.
Written by Yael Green.
Starring Timothy J. Cox, Rachel Lynn Jackson, & Max Abe Plush.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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