Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

sol- Keeping their relationship a secret proves challenging for two gay army officers when a pair of female soldiers visit their outpost in this acclaimed drama from Israel. Originally conceived as a television movie, the film runs less than 70 minutes - something that ensures that the film never outstays its welcome. The short length does have its drawbacks though; mostly significantly, the title characters spend very few moments alone together, which makes it a tad hard to feel their genuine love for another. The two women also receive an inordinate amount of screen time, which they mostly spend gossiping about men. That said, they are pivotal to the plot as the crush that one of them has on one of the gay soldiers leads to jealousy and confusion in the other, played by Ohad Knoller. The film is furthermore topped off by a powerful final scene in which Knoller's silent stares (and everything left unsaid) convey all; his simple painful looks as he listens to one of the female soldiers in this final scene are especially moving. Add in some excellent tracking shots that walk with the soldiers through the bunkers and a memorable ambush scene, and this is a film with surprising quiet power. It is highly likely that it would have made a more satisfying emotional roller-coaster if played out at full length with deeper characterisations, but it remains a nifty short feature as it is.

alexdeleonfilm A Diversity of Themes at the Budapest Israeli film week. Viewed at the Puskin Art Kino, Friday, Dec. 2, 2016 image1.jpeg. "Yossi and Jagger", 2002, is a military based drama and same sex love story. Director, Eytan Fox, with Ohad Knoller (Yossi)and Yehuda Levi (Jagger). RT. 67 minutes. Well, nobody can accuse the Israeli cinema of a lack of diversity. If the yesterday's opening film dealt with the uniquely Israel topic of Talmudic research, the second film of the week takes up the more universal topic of erotic love between men -- but set at a front line military outpost where machoism in the face of death is the norm.The basic setting: Yossi (Ohad Knoller) commands a company of soldiers in the snow- covered mountains above the Lebanese border (or maybe it's the Golan heights). Secretly he leads a passionate romantic relationship with his second-in-command, Lior (Yehuda Levi), who is called "Jagger" by everyone for his unisex good looks and his ability to lip-sync Mick Jagger songs. It's not so easy to keep their secret in such a closely knit group. The film opens at a snow covered outpost encased in swirls of barbed wire.Two officers, Yossie and Jagger, out on a patrol get into a playful snowball fight, are soon rolling in the snow together, and -- whoops, what's this? -- start kissing each other passionately on the mouth in no holds barred closeups -- and we're only five minutes into the picture! They then get it on right there under their uniforms in the snow. The pace has now been set for a swift paced love story (Rt 67 minutes) between men in the unlikely setting of a small military encampment under fire. This compact smackeroo calls into question all the clichés regarding homoerotic love between men, especially in the military, while at the same time offering documentary like insight into daily military life in the Israeli army, including the roles routinely played by young female draftees. The entire drama plays out in just a shade over an hour but feels like much longer considering all that happens. There are frequent references to the influence of American films on young Israelis, a kind of ongoing in-joke...for instance at one point one soldier asks another: "Who do prefer -- Sharon Stone or Michele Pfeiffer?" --that the answer is Pfeiffer doesn't really matter -- what matters is that Hollywood is the bench mark for beauty in Israel. Also in passing a comment on the depth of the American Israeli relationship. While Jagger is often ribbed about being "as good looking as a girl" the ongoing affair between Jagger and Yossi is kept under wraps until the end when Jagger, mortally wounded by a mine explosion, is kissed on the mouth by Yossi in full view of the others. A soldier girl who is strongly attracted to Jagger is greatly disappointed by his lack of interest in her. At his funeral Jagger's mother mistakes her for his girlfriend. In a country which is as militarized as Israel needs to be in order to survive, it is a sign of maturity as a nation as well as of its film industry that such a film can be made and accepted. Apart from that it is quite a good little film on dramatic grounds alone and was very well received by the Israeli public. Director Eytan Fox (born 1964) is openly gay and has made ten features since 1990, often but not always on gay themes. In 2006, Fox was the first recipient of the Washington Jewish Film Festival's Decade Award, a prize given to a filmmaker whose work has made a significant contribution to Jewish cinema over a period of at least ten years.

pogostiks Warning! SPOILERS ahead! To me, the most blatant thing about Yossi and Jagger is the sexual tension running throughout the film. Not only between Yossi and Jagger, but between the soldiers both male and female as well. Which, of course, is normal for young people in their early twenties... and more so when they are in the front lines and could die at any moment. I think that this is the key to the film - for we are reminded again and again that what these kids want to do more than anything is to live at 100 miles per hour... it is the only chance they might get. The best example is just before going out on an ambush, suddenly everyone is dancing flat out with an energy that overflows. They shouldn't be spending so much energy when they might need it in the next few hours, but they can't help it. It might be their last time.What hit me hardest was the ending, where one of the girls confesses her love for Jagger, and everyone in Jagger's family immediately assumes that he was her boyfriend and that he loved her... everyone except Yossi, who knows the truth. This moment in the film shows so well how lonely life can be for gay lovers... especially when one dies. Many times, if they were not completely out of the closet, the one left behind is not allowed to mourn for his lost lover, or at least not in a way that recognizes his real role in the dead person's life. I remember a friend whose lover had died... but no-one at his workplace was aware that he was living in a couple and had just lost his mate. He just had to show up at work the day after the funeral as if everything were fine. What a horror. And we see this same problem for Yossi...who at least has his memories, if not recognition.Many people try to pretend that there is no such thing as "gay" cinema... or a gay sensitivity. Yossi and Jagger put the lie to this. Of all the films I've seen, this one is one of the simplest, yet also one of the most effective depictions of gay love that I have seen in the cinema. Honest, direct, tender, touching, funny, bittersweet and beautiful - it makes us like and want to know the protagonists better. Kudos to the director, who deserves a greater renown. This film is short, but it is a gem.

thinker1691 On a cold desolate hillside, during a lull in a long winter war, Jewish soldiers in far off Isreal, brace themselves against the wind, the dark night and frigid temperatures, in anticipation of an ambush. The air is frosted with both fears and idyllic dreams of a comfortable civilian life. In this tiny corner in a war torn country, two soldiers await destiny amid their shivering companions. The first is Lior Amichai, affectionately called "Jagger" for his love of the noted singer. The other is his companion and secret lover Yossi who despite command responsibilities, yearns for a time when he and Jagger can openly express their love. Arrayed against this union are the tragedies of life. There is Aya who also loves Jagger and in turn is sought after by others in the tiny force. The squad like most common soldiers, long to return home and dream of peace. It is rare that a film elevates gay love to such a poignant level, but this story does just that. It captures the true sentiments of both characters and tugs at the heart of any who have ever been in love amid the turmoil of conflict. When the war torn drama yields it's tragic outcome, it is touching, sympathetic and memorable. ****