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Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #165 in Movie
- Released on: 2008-01-11
- Rating: NR (Not Rated)
- Running time: 65 minutes
Customer Reviews
Yossi and Jagger
I loved this tragic love story.Brilliant acting by the entire cast,Ohad Knoller and Yehuda Levy were outstanding!
A beautiful surprise
This is without a doubt, the sweetest yet most poignant love story I have ever seen on film, which is astounding given its totally atypical setting. Yossi and Jagger are Israeli military conscripts, part of a platoon guarding an icy, isolated outpost. Unknown to everyone around them, they are also lovers. Jagger (played by Yehuda Levi) is the free-spirited one, more comfortable with his sexuality, who wants the world to know about his love. He's about to finish his service with the army and has dreams of eventually living openly with the love of his life.
Yossi on the other hand (played by Ohad Knoller) - who just happens to also be Jagger's commanding officer - is more restrained and intent on keeping his sexual orientation and his relationship private. All the while, Ya'eli, a beautiful female soldier (played by Aya Steinovitz) pines for Jagger but he's patently oblivious to her love for him. Thus the scene is set for an engrossing story. Some interesting issues about homosexuality are raised, some stereotypes are challenged and myths destroyed. I was blown away. The movie reminded me of the 2005 movie Jarhead (Widescreen Edition), in that the largest proportion of it is spent watching soldiers waiting for something to happen. It finally does though, and there are tragic consequences.
What I love most of all about this movie is the way it neatly (and wisely) sidesteps the political realities of the region by refraining from introducing us to the enemy the Israeli army are fighting. They are never even mentioned by name. We can guess whom they might be fighting but we'll never know for sure. We are thus able to focus on the real story here without any distractions. At just over an hour long, the movie is notably short but director Eytan Fox ensures that it manages to tell its story with no compromise. "Unusually subtle and convincing," said the New York Times, "A searing, tense and beautifully told film," said the Philadelphia Inquirer. I say believe them both. It's apparently based on a true story and has brilliantly drawn supporting characters, most notable of all (from a personal standpoint) being Ophir, played by Assi Cohen. I will be watching one this again and again.
DVD extras include a song from the movie (Jagger loved it), a stills gallery featuring some of the movie's stars and trailers of other TLA releases. The movie is in Hebrew with optional English subtitles.
PS. As a companion piece to this movie, I highly recommend the 2001 documentary Trembling Before G-D, which tells in accurate detail how difficult it can be to be lesbian or gay if you're also Jewish - whether you live in Israel or indeed anywhere else in the world.
Beautifully romantic army Love story
A film that stays in my mind with me even though a year since I first played it. It is touching, romantic and sad - all things to which a film of this genre should aspire. It is short enough to have immediate deep impact, long enough for me to keep remembering it again, and again. Beautifully acted and directed, put together by a fine team.