Sublet

I was immediately drawn to this movie for two main reasons. 1. It has John Benjamin Hickey, who I recently became familiar with from Mapplethorpe (knowing an actor in a low budget gay movie means a lot), and 2. It focuses on an older guy (I'm exclusively interested in intergenerational relationships, and I'm a little burnt out on gay films with high schoolers).

Is it good? For the most part, yes. JBH is a good casting choice, I correctly predicted a lot about his character just by observing him. The rest of the cast is good too, and the direction is solid. I'm used to watching tons of micro budget gay films, so simply having decent acting and a director who knows how to work a camera places this towards the top.

The story might not be for everyone. It is deliberately paced, and there's not much drama. You spend most of the film getting to know the two leads, what makes them different, and what makes them connect. The tone is mostly light and fun except for one scene in particular, so it makes for a decent film to put on if you don't want to get too depressed. There's not really any homophobic bullying or violence, which that alone makes it stand out from most of the gay cinema I've experienced.

Overall, I liked pretty much everything about it, especially the characters. I don't know if it makes my top 10 gay films, but it's certainly close. If it interests you, I'd highly recommend it.

A Jewish-American travel writer returns to Tel-Aviv for the 1st time as an adult. He is staying for 5 days, intending to write an article about non-tourist Tel-Aviv. He sublets an apartment rather than stay in a hotel, where the occupant, a pansexual, commitment-free university student of film studies, is planning on couch-surfing with friends for the duration. The writer ends up hiring the student to show him his world, while dealing with a disagreement with his husband back home.

There is an interesting view of what actual student life might be like, with glimpses of the cultural viewpoints of young Israelis, especially in contrast with older Americans - e.g. the writer is appalled that young artists are interested in hip Berlin as a career destination. There are also interesting reflections of what others see of you.

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.

Great acting, amazing concept and storyline. It moved me to tears at some moments and it make me burst out loud in others. Such honest portrait of human beings. I'm so glad to have met those characters.

Gotta love it when you take a chance on an unknown "quirky little independent film" and it turns out to be a well-written, well-acted piece of work. The story plays out well mainly because the writing is good and the interaction between the two main characters is enjoyable to watch unfold. You think you know where things are going to go...which they don't necessarily do in the way you might expect. It's also fun to watch because of the interesting little details that you might miss if you're not paying attention to (e.g., breakfast habits that someone was apparently lying about!) It's cool to hear the older travel writer's story unfold, and it's certainly enjoyable to watch the younger character simply because he's adorable. Fortunately, he can act, too, and has his own worthwhile story. Finally, the character of the mother adds an entertaining element towards the end. The ending may or may not be what you're expecting going in....I'll just leave it at that. In sum, I was glad that this was yet another "overlooked" little film that turned out to be more worth my time than most Hollywood schlock getting cranked out these days. Give it a look!