Movies are supposed to make you feel something. Whether it makes you smile, laugh, be afraid or pump you up it doesn’t matter. If it does something for you it has done its part. Tango Shalom does just that. It’s a charming little film that will bring a smile to your face throughout its nearly two hour run time.
Rabbi Moshe Yehuda (Jos Laniado) has a problem – he needs money. Everyone in his family is coming to him for a little but he has nothing to give. His teaching isn’t bringing in much, and in his orthodox Jewish neighbourhood, jobs are scarce. Deciding it’s up to him to do something about it, he ventures out of his comfort zone and explores nearby areas for something to earn a little bit of cash on the side. While he isn’t able to find anything, he does meet Viviana Nieves (Karina Smirnoff), a tango teacher who is so impressed by his moves that she asks him to be her dance partner in an upcoming dance competition. As much as he enjoys dancing and would love to take a chance at winning the competition’s cash prize, Yehuda won’t sacrifice his faith for it. After all, he faith dictates that he can’t to touch a woman who is not his wife. Still, Yehuda searches for a solution to the problem and finds one that won’t sacrifice his beliefs. But will it be enough to allow those he cares about to get behind him?
Tango Shalom is an amusing film full of good natured laughs and a charm that you don’t find in a lot of films these days. Interestingly enough, the film it feels the most like is My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which was directed by Joel Zwick, one of the producers on this film. The biggest problem with Tango Shalom is that you are forced to suspend your disbelief throughout it in order to get past the coincidences that are used fairly often to advance the plot. For a lot of films this would be a glaring problem, but for this one the cast work exceptionally well together, creating a realistic chemistry that helps you ignore the flaws of the film.
Tango Shalom is a film you can enjoy with the whole family thanks in part to the goofy comedy and good natured story-telling. While faith does play its part, the filmmakers do a good job of not flaunting it. In fact they do a great job exploring how other faith systems would handle the situation which adds a great deal to the comedy. And of course you can’t ignore the tango. The sultry Argentine dance plays a central role in the film, and there is a lot of entertainment in watching it. Really, there are a lot of reasons you and your loved ones will enjoy this film, one step at a time.
