Rated (M) Richard Gere, Flora Cross, Juliette Binoche

I think what fascinated me most about Bee Season was its in-depth look at the mystical Jewish practice of Kabbalah, an ancient and once highly secretive form of Jewish mysticism that involves meditation designed to bring the practitioner closer to God.

These days it is known as Madonna's religion. Jewish practitioners have become weary of this perception of what they hold to be one of the Jewish traditions' most sacred and mystic practices.

Bee Season is a fascinating look at the practice through the eyes of a young girl who has an innate gift for words. In Kabbalah, letters and words are not mere representations, they have an inherent power and holiness all their own.

Eliza Naumann (Flora Cross) has no reason to believe she is anything but ordinary. Her father, Saul (Richard Gere), a beloved university professor, dotes on her talented elder brother, Aaron (Max Minghella). Her scientist mother, Miriam (Juliette Binoche), seems consumed by her career.

When a spelling bee threatens to reaffirm her mediocrity, Eliza amazes everyone: she wins.

Her newfound gift garners not only an invitation to the national competition, but also an entrée into the world of words and Jewish mysticism that have so long captivated her father's imagination.

But Eliza's unexpected success hurls the Naumann family dynamic into a tailspin. Her father now dotes on her and teaches her the finer aspects of the Kabbalah, in particular the practice of meditation on words in order to have the ear of God.

His exclusivity has a detrimental effect on the relationship with both his son and wife and they both rebel in dysfunctional ways. Aaron starts experimenting with the cult of Hari Krishna and Miriam slips into old patterns of behaviour that will have a devastating effect on the whole family.

The film concentrates on the fragility of the family unit and the family members' remoteness from one another. But as Eliza's gift intensifies she must use it for the good of her family - to bring them back together with God's help.

Another universally intriguing concept of Judaism that comes to the fore in Bee Season is one that seems to drive much of the Naumann family's actions and especially Eliza's course-changing act in the film's last third. It is the notion of Tikkun Olam, a Hebrew phrase which literally means "to repair the world". This is a concept that I think all people of faith can relate to, on either a personal or corporate level.

On other levels the film's themes of reconciliation and spiritual search resonate even if you have no experience in Judaism. It's very much about four people in a family who are reaching out for God and, in the process, finding one another.

Bee Season is a fascinating look at the search for the transformative power of God - a refreshing change for a Hollywood film.

Adrian Drayton