Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer

Norman Oppenheimer is a lonely New York fixer who tries to earn money and respect by arranging favors for powerful people. He buys expensive shoes for Micha Eshel, an Israeli politician, and the gift becomes important when Eshel later becomes prime minister. Norman then uses the new connection to make deals involving a synagogue, a family wedding, Harvard, business money, and a political scandal. The film mixes uneasy comedy with a sad story about a man who wants to belong.

Norman's lies and name dropping keep him moving, but they also put other people and Eshel's career at risk. The story shows Jewish life in New York and Israel through a synagogue, a rabbi, a Jewish political circle, and the old story of a Jewish adviser who serves a ruler. A smaller scene shows Alex Green saying that she is a lesbian, and Norman offers to connect her with a Jewish lesbian group. The film also includes a brief public list that names gay rights beside free elections and an independent court. The main story still follows Norman's loneliness, his favors, the peace plan, and the political scandal.