Although both are about arranged unions in cultures whose traditions seem exotic to outsiders, there's none of the happily-ever-after spangle of ''Monsoon Wedding'' in Late Marriage -- and that's part of what makes Dover Kosashvili's outstanding feature debut so potent. The world he knows firsthand is the subculture of Georgian immigrants in Israel, in which Zaza (Lior Ashkenazi), a jaded 31-year-old perpetual student, dutifully trails his parents to matchmaking dates while carrying on a tempestuous romance with Judith (Ronit Elkabetz), an older Moroccan divorcée and single mother whose place in Zaza's life his family will not tolerate.
The graphic sexual connection between the pair, while striking in its realism, is no more astonishing than the relaxed, natural way in which Kosashvili balances comedy and misery, the independent nature of eros, and the obligations of family: There's no simple solution to Zaza's crisis, and even the most inflamed relative gets a kiss of respect -- and a slap of horror. Watch for the director's own mother, Lili Kosashvili, a standout as Zaza's fierce, stately mama.
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