I first saw 'Mary Lou' last July at the 31st San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. As a child, Meir Levi (Ido Rosenberg) had a very close relationship with his mother (Maya Dagan). They cooked, house-cleaned, danced and sang together -- perhaps not typical boys' activities, but Meir is not a typical boy. They were each other's closest friends. Then she calmly, though sadly, walked out during his birthday party, having the presence of mind to lock the door behind her so she couldn't be followed. (Doors are different in Israel; one can be locked in.) In any case, well into adulthood, Meir still longs to find his mother. His search takes him to Tel Aviv where he is introduced to the world of transvestite entertainment, and he fits right in. He takes the stage name, Mary Lou, from his initials and because it was the name of his and his mother's favorite song. Meir still has to figure out his place in life, even though he's got a place to live and work, friends and even a creative outlet. During Meir's search for self and mother, we get to enjoy as many musical numbers as in any episode of 'Glee' or 'High School Musical,' all set to the music of Israeli 70's pop star Svika Pick. The music and choreography may not be up to American television standards, the club stage is certainly smaller, and most of the singing is lip synched from the original hits. But it's an entertaining romp, nonetheless, in a city not previously exposing it's tranny community. This was a 4 episode series on Israeli television. If the first three episodes move a bit slowly and seem redundant, the fourth pays off for the audience's patience with great pacing, increased action and gratifying resolutions to the many of Meir's problems, as well as those of his family and friends.
Mary Lou
Director: Eytan Fox
Writer: Shira Artzi
Cast: Ido Rosenberg, Angel Bonani, Lior Cohen, Maya Dagan, Svika Pick
Time: 150 min.
Hebrew with English subtitles
Opening September 17 tthrough 21 at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco
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