The absence of speech, in
the first scenes of the film, it's a very good way, to the audience see, slowly, the construction of an unlikely amity.
Now I hated
the first scene of this film.
From this point of view, the choice of John Goodman to play Charlie Meadows was inspired because he has usually been given more appealing roles and because the viewer sympathizes with him during
the first scenes of the film.
Her father is a revered rabbi in London, and he passes away in
the first scene of the film, leading Ronit to have to return not only to pay respects but claim her inheritance.
Abrams may be the perfect director for Cruise, as (a good friend pointed out to me) in
the first scene of the film, Abram has Cruises hand tied to a chair.
When, in one of
the first scenes of the film, they sit in a concert audience looking straight at us, they are effectively reversing the role of viewer and performer, and directly inviting us into their narrative.