( spoiler ) early reviewer have focus on this film a a rip off of witness . but let take it on it own term . a chasidic diamond dealer and yaakov klausman and be report miss . a cynical and assertive nyc cop and emily ( melanie griffith ) and be assign to investigate . right away it annoy represent the jewish scene be film in deep and reverential brown and through diffusion filter that make candle glow a in some christian epic . the gentile scene have flat and harsh blue and yellow . emily freewheel and liberated attitude startle the chasid and who be portray a gentle and profound and contemplative and unworldly . in fact and whatever chasid be like among themselves and with non chasid they can be notoriously brash and abrasive and reject and withdrawn and suspicious and and clannish . emily see a bloodstain on the drop ceiling in the diamond store that everyone else have conveniently miss . oops . there be yaakov corpse and cram into the crawl space . ( i guess chasidic corps do not start to smell after a couple of day like the rest of u . ) emily then decide she must live among the chasid to learn about their community and to prevent further murder and because the murder look like an inside job and a possibility consider unthinkable by the jew . both the chasid and her boss readily accept this implausible idea because it the only way to advance the plot . the rebbe ( the patriarch and leader of this chasidic community ) and his two adopt adult child take emily into their home and view her in a generous and accept light . oops again represent these be chasid and who would be most likely to view her with utter disdain . there be several conversation between emily that provide necessary exposition and in which the rebbe come across a a kindly and understand old man . in fact and he would be more likely not to speak to her at all because she be a woman not relate to him . and emily boss doesn not seem too bright to accept her plan so uncritically and also to form a small team to back her up . the film then take emily on a voyage of discovery of chasidism . there be wonderful image of chasidic life and but again and it stretch credulity to think that an outsider would be permit to see them and even if she be an undercover cop work on a murder . this part feel like week and but surprise and it only a few day . emily make friend with the rebbe daughter leah and play by ( the very italian ) mia sara ( obviously owe to the scarcity of jewish actress in america ) . of course and romance rear it head in the person of leah brother ariel and play by eric thal . griffith be eight year old than thal and look it and which be distract . emily and ariel be powerfully attract to one another and but never for a moment be their attraction believable and either a character or actor . ariel be yaakov best friend and a brilliant scholar who be be groom a the rebbe successor and and also the future bridegroom in a just arrange marriage to the daughter of a rabbi in paris . emily react with incredible naiveté about arranged marriage . no one be that ignorant . she also meet mara ( tracy pollan ) and yaakov fiancée and who tell emily about her ( mara ) sordid past and how yaakov find her and take her in and and later propose to her . here be two more implausibles represent that yaakov would do this at all with an outsider and and that emily be transform by her exposure to the chasid into a more reserved and more profound soul in a matter of day . in the daytime and emily work undercover in the diamond store where yaakov be murder . suspicion fall on two stereotypical italian mobster from the baldessari family ( one be james gandolfini with hair ) . they show up a few day after emily go undercover and try to force a protection racket on the store . the jew be give a week to decide . of course and it all be catch on film and tape . when the mobster come back and they be arrest for extortion and conspiracy while and when one of yaakov diamond bag be discover in baldessari coat and for suspicion of murder . the mobster make a break for it and a violent chase sequence ensues and and emily single handedly take them out . just before he die and baldessari tell emily that they do not kill yaakov . emily cover be blow after the very public chase and and the case be supposedly closed . but and in a too neat little scene and emily realize that the only plausible suspect be mara . she be correct and the climactic confrontation ensues and and ariel wind up shoot mara to save leah life . ( right . ) a an anticlimax and we meet ariel betroth and play by the 24 year old rena sofer . we be distract by her beauty and then distract from that by her ludicrously bogus french accent . reviewer of witness and which with this film be most often contrast and have point out the numerous goof in that film and detail that make those familiar with pennsylvania dutch culture howl . same here represent while this film contain fascinate and evocative scene of chasidic life that most people would never see in person and it be an inferior film that be full of improbable plot element and cultural blunder and character who be mostly mere sketch and and mostly pedestrian cinematography . a a jew and sidney lumet should have be more sensitive to how badly this script trample on accuracy in the name of cinema . we expect well from the director who give u serpico and dog day afternoon and network and prince of the city .