"Provides a fascinating glimpse into a cloistered culture even as it conforms to a rather stale narrative mold." - Nick Schager

nice idea, but it didnt make much sense to mix the jewish part with the drug part without any boarders in between

For how original an idea it seems to be, it hits nearly all the same beats as other drug dealer movies. It's still a decent movie, mostly because Eisenberg and Bartha are very good. It just felt like it could have been way more interesting.

Well made, but unoriginal, predictable, and ultimately not very interesting.

It's serious where Maria Full of Grace was full of crap.

Jesse Eisenberg is perfect in the lead role. He is quiet, confident, intelligent and focused. Very good acting from him. Solid premise built around the ambition to strive for bigger and better. Well planned out, well executed and very simple picture. Its main selling point is the slow paced, character study it becomes. Very engaging, a well shot film, good characters. I liked the moral dilemma the unpredictability, the rise and the fall that this film presents.

An interesting story with a few good moments, but overall it just felt flat.

Given the surprisingly sincere presentation of the ambitious orthodox growing up in a strict Jewish household (something I'm much familiar with), you kinda wish they had dropped the entire drug trafficking plot. Eisenberg is obviously trying to dispose of his whole "Michael Cera school of acting dropout" reputation, but he's a fine actor, give him a break. He makes you wonder if he'll take corrective actions to amend for his recent lapses from grace. Not as disappointing as I had envisioned.