Sublet

There may not be much happening in the story, but it draws you in very much. There is subtlety in emotions, making it a film to feel.

Beautifully written, funny, charming and moving at the same time, this movie is a little gem that had me smiling all the way through and that even brought a tear to my face. I was surprisingly happy by how the story developed and how great and dynamic the chemistry between the two main characters was (Tomer's character is very well thought through). The finale was touching and clearly showed the movie's overall efforts of bringing two generations closer. A must watch!

The story is subtle and touching. It tells a good story of both the simplicity and complexity of human relations. We can never be defined by one ROLE or one NAME. And love and passion also could have different forms.

Another superior gay-themed movie from Eytan Fox, the Israeli director of Cupcakes and Yossi and Jagger, among others. It's a simple, but well-observed story about a moment between two gay men from different cultures and different generations. Best of all, it's a showcase for the talents of John Benjamin Hickey, excellent in so many US TV series, from The Big C to Manhattan. It's nice to see him as the leading man. And he's well-matched by Niv Nissem, a young actor with the looks and charisma to make his character, who pretty much embodies the arrogance of youth, attractive. Sublet is also a pretty good snapshot of Tel Aviv, and of Israeli youth. I particularly liked Daria, the would- be dancer who decides she's going to rebel by being completely selfish. Worth the effort if you're in the mood for an intelligent, gentle, quietly moving movie.

Sublet (2020) was co-written and directed by Eytan Fox.

John Benjamin Hickey plays Michael, a middle-aged travel writer for the New York Times. Michael visits Tel Aviv as part of his work.

He sublets an apartment from Tomer (Niv Nissim). Michael invites Tomer to stay in the apartment, and Tomer becomes his guide to the real Tel Aviv.

Michael is gay. Tomer is young and bisexual. The plot revolves around whether their friendship will turn to intimacy.

I enjoyed this film. The actors are excellent, and I learned more about non-tourist Tel Aviv.

We saw this movie virtually as part of the always outstanding Rochester Jewish Film Festival. The movie has a tepid IMDb rating of 6.9. I thought that it was better than that, and rated it 8.