Disobedience
Directed by Sebastián Lelio
- drama
- romance
The story
New York photographer Ronit flies to London after learning about the death of her estranged father. Ronit is returning to the same Orthodox Jewish community that shunned her decades earlier for her childhood attraction to Esti, a female friend. Their fortuitous and happy reunion soon reignites their burning passion as the two women explore the boundaries of faith and sexuality.
What it’s like
Muted, cool-toned interiors lit mostly by daylight through tall windows, with the London North Londoners' Orthodox enclave rendered in drab greys, dark wool coats and the warm amber of kitchen and Shabbat candles. Lelio frames his characters in long, patient takes and tight two-shots that let faces do the work, so a glance across a crowded room or a hand held a beat too long carries real weight. The sound design is sparse: ambient street and household noise, muffled rooms, and a restrained score that appears only at emotional peaks. The vibe is restrained, aching and quietly charged, a slow-burning tension between duty and desire. It suits a rainy weekend afternoon or a late evening when you want something intimate and serious rather than escapist. Sexual content is present but not explicit, with some brief intimate scenes. Emotional cruelty and community rejection run through the story, though there is no graphic violence. Its arcs follow two women reckoning with the past and with what their faith and families demand. It is for viewers who want adult romance, grief and moral complexity handled with patience and restraint.
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