NORMAN/THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER

US/ Israel, 2016, 118 minutes, Colour.
Richard Gere, Lior Ashkenazi, Michael Sheen, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Dan Stevens, Steve Buscemi, Jonathan Avigdon, Yehuda Almagor, Hank Azariah, Harris Yulin, Josh Charles, Ann Dowd.
Directed by Joseph Cedar.


Who is Norman? He is Norman Oppenheimer, a street person of no fixed abode, always wearing an overcoat and cap, embodied perfectly by Richard Gere in one of his best performances.

We are first introduced to Norman chatting on a New York street with his nephew, Philip (Michael Sheen), talking about making contacts, financial enterprises, Norman jotting down names on a piece of paper, sketching in the links. A subtitle added to the film describes him: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer.

Then he is seen pursuing a young man jogging, making all kinds of propositions, not even hearing the word “no� except that it seems to urge him on in his pursuit. Then he goes to a talk, a stage interview of an Israeli politician, and notes one of his assistants, Eshel (a good performance from Lior Ashkenazi). He follows him down the street, biding his time, helping him to window shop and take him into an expensive store and buys him shoes, the most expensive shoes. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship – as well as a tragic one.

Norman the fixer tries to link Eshel with a businessman but fails, going to visit his synagogue, comforted by the music, feeling at home there, though this is not his home.

The film is constructed in four Acts: A Foot in the Door, The Right Horse, Anonymous Doner, The Price of Peace. Three years after the initial events, Eshel is Prime Minister of Israel, visiting Washington, encounters Norman and embraces him, photographers flashing, his being introduced to celebrities, politicians, businesspeople.

Norman has the talent for ingratiating himself, but this is difficult with politicians, Eshel’s minders begin to refuse to take his calls. Norman has encountered Alex (Charlotte Gainesbourg) on the train from Washington to New York and finds that she is a top official in handling American criminals in Israel and Jewish criminals in New York. Ultimately, this seemingly friendly meeting, leads to the undoing of Norman and his plans.

At first, Norman is somewhat alienating for the audience, not believing for one minute his various stories and put off by the way that he follows people, makes the links, offers favours. He is definitely a conman, fixer, but, ultimately, with a heart of gold, the favours he seeks generally for the betterment of the people he wants to help.

There is also a complication with his nephew, Jewish, but wanting to marry a Korean and in need of some kind of religious preparation, which leads to the rabbi of Norman’s synagogue (Steve Buscemi) whose building is being acquired and her needs $14 million, Norman offering to assist, to purchase the building.

The film shows there are risks in do-goodiing, especially when one of the beneficiaries is the Prime Minister of Israel, wanting a piece program, being attacked by politicians (actually filmed in the Knesset) and her needs to survive, even to get a lucky bonanza.

Which means that Norman becomes a sacrifice, a self-sacrifice, for the love and the friendship of others.

The film was written and directed by Israeli, Joseph Cedar, his previous films, Beaufort and The Footnote are worth seeking out.


1. The US- Israeli production, story, cast, director?

2. New York City, the streets, offices, synagogue, diners? Washington DC, receptions? Jerusalem, the city, the Knesset? The jaunty musical score?

3. The total, the focus? Richard Gere’s performance? Interest in his character, sympathy or not? Change of attitudes? Empathy?

4. The structure: the four acts: Foot in the Door, The Right Horse, Anonymous Donor, Price of Peace?

5. Meeting Norman, his conversations with Philip, the range of plans, his contacts, sketching links and diagrams, his ideas, making money? Jewish background? His connections? Phillip warning him? His chasing Bill during his jogging, Bill and his firm no, Norman taking no notice, persevering?

6. The meetings, Norman attending, the Israeli delegation and interviews, his looking at Eshel, following him in the street, stalking him, Eshel and chocolates, the shoes in the window, the help from the assistant, not buying the suit, Norman buying the shoes, Eshel’s delight? Eshel in himself, friendship and appreciation towards Norman, exchanging cards, the invitation to the dinner, business interests, Norman arrange it all, the phone calls, Eshel not going, Norman in the house, at the table, discussions with Taub, his being ousted politely, his phone call to Eshel and Eshel’s apology?

7. Norman as a street person, no background, no fixed abode, his cap and his coat, his allergy to peanuts, going to the synagogue, listening to the music, lying on the bed? Friendship with the rabbi? A simple life background for a complex personality?

8. The title, the focus on Norman as a fixer, the conman, able to ingratiate himself with people despite initial hostility, his speils, inventions, yet his heart of gold, networking, trying to make links for people for their betterment? His perennial phone calls and earpieces? Plans, for favours for people, favours towards himself?

9. The passing of three years, Eshel as Prime Minister of Israel? In Washington, the queue with Philip, Norman’s indecision, meeting Eshel, the embrace, the photographers, the collage of all the people meeting him, Eshel’s wife, the business connections?

10. The return by train, ingratiating himself with Alex, sitting with her, asking her questions, her background, the lesbian issue, Jewish? At Penn Station, her seeing him, phoning him, his looking for her, her seeing through him?

11. The synagogue, being sold, Norman’s plans, the meetings, the anonymous donor, meeting the cost halfway? The reaction of the rabbi? The later discovery that there was no donor, the rabbi pulling him from the window, his falling into the rubbish?

12. Joe and Bill, the business contacts, the discussions, prosperity?

13. Jerusalem, Eshel as Prime Minister, his success, desire for peace, plans? Norman and his phone calls? His not being answered? The Knesset and the attacks on Eshel? At home, discussions with his wife, her cautions about Norman? Is advises, the continued phone calls, their not answering? Duby and his work, his assistant? The move to manipulate Norman about the unknown New York businessman?

14. Eshel, wanting his son to go to Harvard, not having sufficient grades, Philip and his pulling strings? Phillip needing the rabbi, wanting to marry the Korean, an issue of conversion? The rabbi agreeing? The wedding ceremony?

15. The media and the attack on the unknown businessman? Phillip being wary, warning Norman? Duby not knowing the identity? Norman’s reaction, wanting to find out, visiting the Consulate, the security at the door, the meeting with Alex, her revealing that he was the businessman, his shock, her saying he was criminal?

16. His final decision, Eshel and the phone call and his profound apology? Norman’s pledge?

17. Norman and his contacts, putting everything in order for people, accosting Bill and his jogging, discussions with Joe, Joe and the investment, saving Eshel? Phillip and his happiness with his wedding? The anonymous donor and the plaque for the synagogue?

18. The comic touch with Katz, spying on Norman, following him, him, following him, his admiration for him, wanting to be like him, using all of Norman’s words and phrases?

19. Norman and his allergy, his decision to end his life, buying the peanuts, sitting on the bench, contemplating his life, his death, eating the nuts? Audience sympathy with him at this moment of self-sacrifice?