Ha-Buah

It's one of the best movies I've seen in the last 2 years (I've seen the premier in Tel-Aviv, Israel in the summer of 2006, exactly when the last war has began...) This problem in communication between the people, that causes wars, is interesting me for a long time, and it doesn't matter who- boys and girls, straight and gays, Jews and Arabs... I've seen the Bubble already 3 times, and it still surprising and exciting me- each character reminds me of one of the many people i know, and the difference between them, like between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem... The last time i saw it- was with my friend, who is a Christian Arab, and it was on the independence day of Israel ( the most symbolic i could ! how ironic) and... he cried in the end!!! - if he's been touched and wasn't embarrassed- everyone would be touched by The Bubble!

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.

Here's my take on this rather needlessly long movie!

The balance of this story, the message of this movie, the morality of the plot, rest upon one character - Ashraf ! Ashraf ultimately gave into the sociopolitical hackery of his Palestinian cultural upbringing.

He appears to have no border problems with his access into Tel Aviv, Israel. Here he meets Noam, a young Israeli soldier. Love follows! In Israel Ashraf can follow his heart and openly love another man. Noam appears to have no inhibition in being openly gay - but Ashraf is emotionally in turmoil expressing his true hearts desire.

So Ashraf seeks his families approval. In doing so he incurs their wrath. He knew this would be their reaction but he seeks approval anyway. Ashraf then gives into the hate he was raised to believe and seeks his revenge upon Noam because Noam and his friends let Ashraf be who he truly is.

I failed to grasp just why this movie is titled 'The Bubble'. Because the main characters - Noam and his friends - seem to only seek to be who they truly are and reject the sociopolitical hackery they are raised to believe where instead Ashraf ends up giving into this mental bubble he was raised to believe even after he experiences the ability to believe otherwise.

I got this one a few weeks ago and love it! It's modern, light but filled with true complexities of life. It questions and answers, just like other Eytan Fox movies. This is my favorite, along with Jossi & Jagger. This pictures a lot more, universally, than only the bubbles we may live in. You don't need to be Jewish or homosexual to enjoy this - I'm not, but the movie goes directly to my top ten movies. At first it seems like pure entertainment but it does make you think further. Relationships we have to live with are superficial, meaningful, deep, fatal, you name it. You don't know what's coming, and you definitely don't know where this story is heading as you watch it the first time. It is worth seeing several times. Fox movies include great bonus material - here a great music video and "the making of" (including explanation of the title, interviewing Lior Ashknenazi who plays himself in the movie and Arabs with doubts about the Israeli life styles).

Here's one more beauty in the string of beautiful films directed by Eytan Fox. The movie presents the story of star-crossed lovers (one Israeli, one Palestinian)in modern Tel Aviv. The film's effectiveness comes not only from its depiction of cross-ethnic conflict, but of conflicts personal and political within ethnic groups as well. For example, there's a telling moment when one of the secondary characters, openly gay, is visited in the hospital by his boyfriend who brings him flowers and tries to kiss him in front of his visiting family, and suddenly we see a wave of awkward discomfort wash through the room. Clearly the young man is not as open as he seems, and the family not as accepting as he might want them to be, while the boyfriend is confused and rejected. A good deal of complexity is packed into a fleeting moment. As we know from Yossi & Jagger, Fox is a master at efficiently packing emotional and psychological complexity into brief sequences. The film is also effective for the even-handed way it presents the mutual brutalities that Israelies and Palestinians inflict on each other. If you're not heartless, you'll cry through the last third of the movie. Though the plot is melodramatic, it's so intelligently written and acted that it reminds us of how satisfying good melodrama can be.