Yossi

OK, so here we go. Cynics amongst us may find it all a little too predictable. The concept is not original and certainly we're going to see allot more of this "ethos" in a move if you like - HOWEVER, the director has brilliantly kept the overall footage quite raw when you think of it and this does create a sense of realism to the movie.

Yossi and Jagger was a valiant attempt and it caught, I think, the emotions of many gay men who don't necessarily identify with wider gay culture. It spoke to the "man" in us if you will.

Yossi struck all the right notes. You felt his pain, his loneliness and you cheered on his ultimate revival - however, it's not a given. Not in anyway shape or form and how it happens is not predictable in the least. Outstanding positioning and an honest, thoughtful script lead to a most enjoyable movie experience.

And even for a cynical old bitch like me, I must say, I very nearly shed a tear...nearly!

Wow. What a beautiful film.

So simple yet so... I don't know how to describe it. I watched it with this peaceful relaxed feeling throughout the whole film. The story flows effortlessly. I don't know how the director did it. Everything just seems to work, just like in Yossi & Jagger. It could have been one of those typical films, but yet it works so well that it's special. It's almost like there's magic in the air. The acting is wonderful. Ohad Knoller who play Yossi is absolutely perfect. What a charmer. The film is all about Yossi and Ohad did a fantastic job. He's really the heart and soul of the film.

It's not everyday that I would give a "normal" film like this a 10, but I'd give this a 10.

The film centres around a gay man in his mid-thirties who works as a cardiologist in Tel Aviv, Israel. Still grieving his lover killed years ago, he lives a repressed and lonely life until things change in the film's second half.

This is a very compassionate film. It is occasionally satirical including a great scene that exposes the superficiality of the online dating scene. In the lead role, Ohad Knoller expresses the loneliness with much subtlety. He's quite likeable.

The film could have prolonged a passionate scene near the end. It also misses an opportunity to explore the apparent bi-curiousity of one of Yossi's colleagues. Still, it is fine entertainment. Points must be given for the avoidance of typical plotline cliches around gay characters.

I normally don't watch sequels when I haven't seen the original but in the case of "Yossi" I thought I would make an exception. It's a sequel to "Yossi and Jagger" and it takes up the story of Yossi, an Israeli doctor, after the death of his lover, Jagger, who was killed when they were soldiers in the Lebanon. Other than providing some kind of happy ending for Yossi this time round this seems to me a somewhat pointless film despite being very well written, directed and acted. As gay 'romances' go it's certainly up-front and honest and hardly sentimental but the 10 year gap between the two films gives this the feeling of an afterthought. Nevertheless, it's still a welcome addition to LGBT cinema if only for treating both its characters and its audience with some degree of intelligence.

Set in contemporary Israel, YOSSI follows the life of the eponymous hero (Ohad Knoller), a heart surgeon who spends most of his life at work to try to compensate for a non-existent social life. Having lost his lover in combat, Yossi spends his few leisure hours watching porno films on a computer, trying and failing to find dates, and making a pilgrimage to Varda's (Orly Silbersatz's) house - Varda being the mother of his deceased lover. Eytan Fox's film is a stark depiction of loneliness - there is little or no music, and the camera scarcely departs from Yossi's face as he looks at his shapeless figure and wonders whether he will be able to escape the trauma of his loss. However the film takes an optimistic turn as Yossi travels to a resort, and on the way meets up with a group of soldiers. One of them, Tom (Oz Zehavi) takes a fancy to him - even though it takes a long time for Yossi to shed his inhibitions and respond in kind. In a consciously vulgar seaside resort, full of manufactured entertainment and artificial swimming-pools, the two of them spend the night together and subsequently take a life-changing decision. Fox's film offers hope for anyone trying to cope with the pain of losing a loved one.