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Print A shiva, the ritual gathering that follows a Jewish funeral, is potentially as good a cinematic device for uniting disparate and dysfunctional friends and family as the wedding, birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas events that have driven countless movie comedies. Unfortunately, writer-director Emma Seligman’s “Shiva Baby,” despite its thematic acuity, loopy vitality and committed acting, doesn’t add up to enough in its too-brief 72 minutes (plus end credits) to warrant all the cross-wired mayhem that gets us over the movie’s dubious finish line. Based on Seligman’s 2018 eight-minute short, the film finds floundering college senior and secret sex worker Danielle (Rachel Sennott) unexpectedly running into her sugar daddy, Max (Danny Deferrari), at a shiva being held in the New York City-area home (shot in Queens) of her aunt Sheila (Cilda Shaur). It’s awkward with a capital A, especially since the thirtyish Max is there with his blonde shiksa wife (Diann

New yorkUnited statesDanielle rachel sennottSheila cilda shaurMax danny deferrariAriel marxFred melamedDianna agronPolly draperMaya molly gordonEmma seligmanRachel sennottDanny deferrariNew york city areaCilda shaurMolly gordon