Yuri (Ewen Leslie) is an up-and-coming rabbi dealing with the loss of his father that causes so much grief in him; it sends him on a steadfast decline towards rebellion against his faith and his family. He quickly becomes curious about life outside of strict divine code, so he becomes a taxi driver working only late shift. Breaking all the traditions he devoted himself to his whole like, he also finds an attraction with a non-Jewish co-worker at the cabstand. Exploring this new world (and all of the bizarre characters in it) leads Yuri finds himself even more conflicted than before when he discovers it that it’s a lot harder to let go of his ideals than he thought.
“Jewboy” is like “Taxi Driver” merged with Aronofsky’s “Pi” and the film is definitely strong enough to stand on it’s own. Tony Krawitz is an exceptionally talented and determined first time filmmaker in the world of film. The film beautifully shot in a dark, gritty fashion and brilliantly acted by newcomer Leslie, the only real problem is its length. Running for only 53 minutes, there is clearly enough material here to stretch it into a feature and it would have been openly accepted.
