Gordon-11
This film tells the love story of a young Israeli soldier and a Palestinian man. Their journey is full of difficulties, as the war breaks out and racial tension mounts."The Bubble" examines what it is like to have a relationship in a society full of racial tensions and people with closed minds. I feel for Ashraf so much, as his family is not accepting towards his sexuality, and also the tragic events that occur in his family towards the end of the film. Fortunately, the film has lighter moments, as the youngsters party their way through the night in the name of peace.The ending few seconds are so powerful that it has a haunting effect on me. Even though "The Bubble" is more of a romantic comedy than a depressing drama, it still will move everyone to tears.
hughman55
You could be forgiven for mistaking this low budget indie for a great film. "The Bubble" centers on two men, Noam and Ashwar, an Israle and Palestinian respectively, who meet, come together, and live a short fairy tale existence in the protective "bubble" of Tel Aviv. Their relationship is complicated by the Middle East tensions that we, in the U.S., have only a cursory knowledge of. Normal couples, in the early stages of their relationships, will struggle with who will call who next, , doubts of sincerity, or who will say "I love you" first. Noam and Ashwar's early love is complicated by suicide bombings, armed security check points, racism, and thousands of years of cultural hatred. While Noam's friends in Tel Aviv accept, and like, Ashwar, who is an Arab, it is clear that most of Tel Aviv's other citizenry don't. Ashwar adopts a Hebrew name, lives as Noam's boyfriend in secret, and works "under the table" at the "friend of a friend's" restaurant. One of the most touching moments in this film, and there are many, is when Noam and Ashwar attend a production of the play "Bent". We, as movie goers, see them watching this play, and the affect it has on the two of them is profoundly captured in their eyes. They watch two concentration camp prisoners, in the play, expressing their love for one another. Noam and Ashwar are prisoners too and the parallels are inescapable. This touching moment is ultimately played out in a very sad way later in the movie.Just as in the Shakespeare classic, the resentments, bodies, and vengeance pile to a crippling height. Without giving away too much of the storyline, one of the men is blackmailed into a collection of choices with no good outcome possible. Behind door number one - marry his brother in-law's sister - at the threat of being exposed as being gay and a social outcast to his family and community. Behind door number two, go back to his boyfriend in Tel Aviv, and a community that will never accept him, and that routinely abuses and discriminates against his people. It doesn't matter how much the one you love, loves you, when the world he live in hates you. And then there's door number three. With this choice he can become a hero instead of an outcast to his father, minimize the retaliation meant to avenge is sister's murder, and make sure that the fatalities are limited to just one. Or so he believes. Ohad Knoller and Youseff 'Joe' Sweid are outstanding as Noam and Ashwar. Director Eytan Fox is brilliant in creating an interesting and compelling retelling of the greatest romantic tragedy. The romance, sexuality, and sensuality are intense and passionate. It is so refreshing to see this kind of depth and honesty attributed to a gay couple. Ivri Lider renders a music score with the perfect touch of conventional romanticism that says, "love is universal". The most powerful force in this film, however, is the performance by Youseff "Joe" Sweid. He roils in the passions of his heart, the thousands of years of cultural hatred, and the calm place in his soul where his love for Noam rests. Sweid, through Ashwar, shows what it's like to have your heart and your life in complete contradiction with one another. He shows what it's like to find peace for the first time and then discover that peace is a lonely place for some. He is the ultimate outcast in an unforgiving, and undeserving, world. This is a very good film. It has heart, and heartbreak. And like all good love stories, love does win out. But not with the intact glory of it's full bloom. Everlasting love is too complicated for that. Still, though, they will be together forever.
Violet
Eytan Fox, whilst generally leaning on the apologist side of Israeli politics, has made several quite interesting films in the past such as "Walk on Water" and the simply wonderful film, "Yossi & Jagger". In "The Bubble", however, he has taken this illogical and unfair approach to the extreme.Far from giving this film a standing ovation, the people at the screening I attended quietly got up and left. I also quietly left, fuming with anger at such a ridiculously one-sided film that translates self-preservation as racist bullying, and racist bullying (and terrorism) as outbursts of justified anger; which implies that Arabs are so wronged by the evil Israelis that they react in anger to a constant stream of one-sided Israeli aggression against them, and that they, therefore, should not be held responsible for their actions.This film wasn't worth the money I paid for the ticket (indeed, I considered demanding my money back), and was basically an Israeli apeing of the Palestinian film "Paradise Now". If you want to be an anti-Israeli, then by all means watch this film, as it really justifies just such a belief system. The fact that this film was made by an Israeli director and, even worse, such a talented Israeli director, is a crying shame. Indeed, just how Israel can be surprised to be regarded as a pariah State when Israelis themselves make such anti-Israel propaganda, beggars belief.What a shameful, horrid little film!
