Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

Seems like this has become a trend to make films based on true stories and why not! They add a certain authenticity and people are likely to connect more with such stories. This film set in Tel Aviv about saints, sinners and sex is an interesting addition to this list. Treading on the fine line of sexuality and religion in the country, we get to see a facade where certain self appointed religious leaders will go to any extent, in the name of love and God, to treat people and absolve them of their 'sins'. We meet our hero Binyamin, who is only into BDSM sex and doesnt enjoy it until someone physically hurts him. We se this in a couple of explicit sex scenes. He lives alone having moved away from his family. Over time we get to know that the is trying to remove himself from a trauma of accidental death of his brother for which he blames himself and also the fact that his family never approved of him being gay. He meets a nice new neighbour he likes, but their thing doesn’t immedi...

This was probably one of the earlier Israeli gay films to have come out back in 1982. Our main protagonists have only two things he cares about - his homosexuality and the fact that he is making a 'gay' film. This would be film maker always says ''I'm busy with my film right now'", except you never see him do anything about it, because he is much more interested in sleeping around with different guys. People simply wander into and out of Robi's life, and if his character evolves during the course of the story, the change is difficult to decipher. Robi is a young Israeli who lives his grandmother and works at her store. He dreams of finding true love and becoming a movie director, both of which seem increasingly difficult. He has a friend with benefit situation with another guy named Han, who is married but they have good thing going. They both go to a cruising park, where Robi is supposedly looking for someone who looks like him and can play lad in the ...

Sex, Drugs, partying, love and anguishing the aftermath of a shooting on the pride parade day. This is how one can try to attempt describe what the film is about. I am not sure if there was an attempt tp tell a concrete story here, but it feels like the makers were going for a realistic depiction of the reality of use if excessive drugs within gay community. the feeling of being high, reaching for fantasy, the distortion of reality, and loss of control; are all here with the kind of ending that you leave you confused between reality and imagination. The story, yes there is a little, is basic. Guy and his best girl-friend Joy are all set and ready to enjoy the pride parade, when their bliss is abruptly put to an end by a deadly shooting. Fleeing the scene into the safety of Guy’s home, they take in a fellow pride parader, Dan, who seems in shock and is crying on the stairs of Guy's building. They calm him up , let the drugs wear off and Dan decides to leave. Afraid to go out, and gl...

This was actually a pretty amazing documentary. It almost felt like a film. This raw, tragic, and endlessly compelling look at Dudu and Nino as they navigate life on the streets of Tel Aviv as male prostitutes hits you quite hard, if you watch it with some emotions. Their story of childhood, struggle, living day by day using prostitution and drugs to just survive was gut wrenching and watching things like this, make you wonder why some people have to go through this shit. Why can't there be some semblance of more equality out there. Garden is the seedy area of Tel Aviv, where a lot of male prostitution happens. Drug addicted, young gay prostitutes and transvestites (Israelis and Palestinians) share the same working space in uncommon harmony and some even as friends. To bring these points home, and make a few more, the film makers follow two young men who "live and work" in the Garden. Nino, a 17-year-old Palestinian living illegally in Israel, in and out of jail and refor...

This film was very very interesting, not necessarily amazing though. With a very novel premise, it is a film that is trying really hard to be about something, and to make meaningful social commentary, but it fails somewhat in its execution. The film sits on an odd balance, and by the time it ended I wasn't sure of this was supposed to be a satire or a pure introspection of a single individual, who wrestles with his own guilt and biases in a manner that doesn’t pay off for anybody but himself. Ben and his partner ar a very happy couple, living the dream in a nice flat they got in a good deal, but the problem is that the neighborhood is a bit run-down and migrant heavy. They have lots of lush plants, drink green juice every morning and are planning to have a baby via surrogate. Ben even planted a tree on the street outside in an attempt to liven up the area. One night, after his pleas go ignored, he calls the police on two immigrant men who keep leaning against it and tilting it pret...

These kind of silly, comedy of errors, films with stereotypical gay characters must have been quite common in non-western countries back in 80s and 90s. So you have to keep in mind, the time period, when we watch movies like this. A story  of comedy of errors, between twin brothers, between Israel and France, started off well and actually was quite funny till about half point, but then it just got weird and too campy for my taste. Twin brothers Papi and Max have not met each other for 20 years. Papi is a gay, over the top fashion designer in Paris with a young boyfriend and Max is in Israel, running a plumbing company with his wife. One day a lawyer shows up and finds Papi and tells him that an uncle has left them an inheritance of 20 million dollars each with the condition that both brothers need to be married and have three biological children of their own. Papi flies to Israel to meet his brother, who is a player, who has 2 kids so far and a very suspicious wife. He convinces hi...

At an outset, this film feels like a coming of age film about a 18 year old teenager struggling between his sexuality, his failing relationship with his father and him being secretly involve with his best friend. The very first scene f he film sets the tone when we see our protagonist Tom (not yet 18) climbing out of bed with two other men exploring his sexuality and also well aware that youth is on his side. The story is basic. Young Tom has a failing relationship with his father. We are not told exactly why, but I think t is to do with Tom's sexuality and as kid he used to dress up like girls. So one day, he gives an ultimatum that he should move out pf the house in 2 weeks. Tom works part time at a pizzeria. To the outside world and his friends, Tom pretends to be straight and interested in girls, but in reality he’s fallen hard for his best friend Gilad. But Gilad is in love with a girl who completes the trip of this best friends circle. One day Tom meets a photographer Rami on...

This documentary is an attempt to show us the hidden lives of gay and lesbian Orthodox and Hasidic Jews. Built around intimately-told personal stories of a few subjects, mostly in New York community, including some respected Rabbi's, the film portrays a group of people who face a profound dilemma - how to reconcile their passionate love of Judaism and the Divine with the drastic Biblical prohibitions that forbids homosexuality. The idea is to examine the soul-shattering torment suffered by gays and lesbians hoping to reconcile their sexuality with their Orthodox beliefs. David, a Los Angeles resident, confesses that he has gone through a rigorous diet of figs and an aversion therapy program designed to help him change his sexual orientation from gay to straight. He regularly prays and just can't believe that the tradition he loves has excluded him. "Devrah," a lesbian who lives in Israel with her husband, shares some of the pain and loneliness she carries in her marri...

Finally a different film from the usual stories that I have been seeing of late in LGBTQ genre. A film that explores the unsaid but very prevelant discriminative tendencies in sports against LGBTQ people is something I can't remember if I have seen one. This movie shows us, in a subtle yet string way, how a sportsman learns to accept and love himself despite that. I am not sure how much of this is taken from someone's personal experiences, but it sure seems like it. 5 swimmers have been shortlisted for an elite swimming training camp. Out of these 5, only one will be able to represent Israel for Olympics. Erez is the newest member of the team, whose father is friends with the coach Dima. Erez is actually good and very son becomes a string contender, almost a given for finale. Amongst the two other string guys, Erez soon develops an attraction for fellow teammate Nevo. Nevo is from England and had no family here but there is some sort of mutual attraction, clearly more from Erez...

Ever since Yossi & Jagger, I have looked forward to Eytan Fox's films. The expectations are high and personally for me this film also does really well on my expectations. This film is a very touching and poignant story of an older American writer dealing with sorrow who is brought back some happiness and meaning by the company of a younger Israeli man. The film is slow but sensitive, respectful, thought through, even sensuality laced with amazing performances in a cross-generational emotional awakening. 50-something Michael, a travel writer for New York Times is traveling to Tel-Aviv for five days to explore the city and write about it. He has sublet an apartment in a hip neighborhood from film school student Tomer, who is as messy and spontaneous as Michael is buttoned-up and organized. Tomer has mixed up the American's arrival date but since he needs the money, he quickly leaves the place. When Tomer drops by next day, Michael invites him to stay for breakfast. The younge...

Documentaries are hard to make, they are long projects and you need some solid material to keep the interest of audience going. This documentary scores big on both these issues. As it is we know very little about Palestine, so an untold story of gay Palestinians dealing wit hIsrael-Palestine conflict was never going to be an easy subject to film and prepare. We meet Louie, a gay Palestinian forced to flee the West Bank when his father attacks him with a knife after learning of his sexual orientation. Louie escapes to Tel Aviv, where he lives by taking odd jobs and dodging Israeli police. He has been sent back to Palestine multiple times by the police but everytime he manages to come back. When he takes connects with lawyers, he learns about Abdu, an outspoken gay Palestinian who is seeking refuge to get out of this mess. According to him "The Palestinians won’t accept us because we are gay, and the Israelis won’t accept us because we are Palestinians without permits." ...

While this isn’t your usual romantic queer offering, 15 Years does an impressive job of showing what long-running relationships go through when there’s talk about wanting to change things up. The change could be anything from opening up the relationship, to bringing in a third to even starting a family. It also shows an aspect of mid life crisis that our lead goes through. Our primary character is Yoav, a 40 something architect. He has been with his lover Dan for 15 years who is a lawyer completely in love with Yoav. Alma is a mixed race Israeli who has been friends with Yoav since she was 13. At an art opening Alma announces that she is pregnant. For some reason Yoav is completely against the idea of kids, but Alma's announcement ignites Dan's desire for fatherhood. Yoav is so dead against the idea that he even lashes out at his friends and Alma on their 15th anniversary celebrations. It seems Yoav has some really bad childhood memories from his father who is dying. We ne...

Israel, more often than not, surprises me with the films that they make (or maybe it has to do with the films that I have seen). The Cakemaker is a provocative, unexpected and finally very moving work is as unusual a love story as you are likely to find. The film is shot in Berlin and Jerusalem and very minutely shows us about love, relationships, exploring sexuality in a world where no one takes time to enjoy the small pleasures of life. The primary focus is Thomas, a reserved German pastry chef, who is content in his life. Oren, a married Israel guy frequently visits Berlin every month and they fall in love for almost a year and are pretty serious about each other. A freak accident kills Oren and Thomas is devastated. Thomas is now longing to find out details and decides to visit Jerusalem to meet Oren's wife Anat and his son. Anat, not religious herself, runs a cafe in Jerusalem but is also kind of controlled by Motti (Oren's brother) who is still strict about religion ...

Sometimes you just want to watch a film for escapism, to have a smile on your face, and to not have to think too much about the complications of life. The director Eytan Fox is known to have delivered some really hard-hitting but good gay Israeli cinema, so this film is also a huge change for him. A musical comedy, this film is charming, simple and good fun to watch. Every year 6 friends get together to watch UniverSong contest on TV, an ode to EuroVision. This year should be no different. The group of friends include middle-aged baker Anat, whose husband has recently left her;  gay schoolteacher Ofer, who likes to entertain his kindergarten class by performing musical numbers in drag; shy blogger Keren, whose interactions with the world are primarily online;  lesbian singer/songwriter Efrat, whose career is limited to coffee shops; former beauty pageant winner turner lawyer Yael; and repressed Dana, who works as an aide to a conservative female politician. But today is t...

An intense and alluring film, it manages to hold viewers interest till the end. Running with a perfect length of 80 minutes, it never gets boring or over the top. I think this would be a good film for anyone to watch because just replacing the mysterious man writing letters with a woman would make this film probably more accepting but it loses the tension that gets created in this scenario between a straight couple and mystery letters. A dense and captivating drama of how sexuality and love or not being loved affects people. The story is set in 1989 (not sure why). Boaz is a very charming and beautiful young man who lives with his girlfriend Noa. He is a student at the university of Tel Aviv studying linguistics. He goes to the post office to check status of his scholarship but instead one day sees a letter from a secret admirer. The letters keep coming with more and more details about Boaz's life which makes him realize that the person is somewhere close to his everyday life....

What a lovely film. Yes, it is a dark film and very very real in terms of direction, execution and performances. I was quite positively surprised by the film and the subject. A gay love story between a Palestinian student and an Israeli lawyer is not the easiest to handle but kudos to the write, producer, director of the whole team to do this. The film really touched my heart and left a mark and something to think about for a long time. Nimr is a young Palestinian man studying psychology. At night, Nimr avoids border patrols to illegally enter Tel Aviv and go to gay bars. His conservative family doesn't know about his sexual orientation. To top that Nimr's brother is a part of an extremist rebel movement who do not hesitate one sec to kill someone is he is gay. One such night he meets Roy, a handsome Israeli lawyer working at his well-connected father's law firm, and the two instantly hit it off. Nimr initially receives a student visa that would enable him to visit Tel...

The movie dramatizes the rejection and stigmatization of transsexuals, and the obstacles they face in simply trying to lead a normal existence. A beautiful film in not just acting but also production values, sensitive, background music etc, this film definitely deserves a wider audience. I have seen a few films on a similar subject but the sensitivity with which things have been handled here, definitely calls for applaud for the director. Shlomo and Galya have a teenage son. When Shlomo discovers women's clothing and accessories in his son Assaf's room, , decides to 'teach the boy a lesson' and lock the home's door for him on a rainy night. His theory is the boy will learn fast and get back to house, get into studies and forget everything. Four years late, Galya comes to a detective to find her son since Shlomo has cancer and is dying. The detective son finds out that Assaf is now Anna and has undergone a sex change operation and she lives on her own and has fr...

I can't really remember watching a sequel of a gay film before. Either there haven't been one before or I have missed them. When I say sequel, I mean real sequel that takes the story forward and not just series like 'Eating Out'. Yossi takes the story forward from 'Yossi & Jagger', where the protagonist Jagger dies in a tragic military ambush and how Yossi is going on with his life. Its been about 10 years since the incident had happened. Yossi is now a doctor but a very very lonely man. His anxieties are pushing their way into lonely nights with internet porn and growing detachment from his hospital's job. Yossi is still in closet, doesn't like to talk to anyone about being gay. A chance encounter with Jagger's mother at the hospital check up makes him to go to their house to tell Jagger's parents who he really is and what his relationship with Jagger was. Jagger's father is ok but the mother doesn't take it all too well. Being ...

I saw this film first almost 6-7 years ago, just about when I had started watching gay theme films but not reviewing them. I am glad I did see it again because I had forgotten how good and emotional this film was and now I can also put in my views on this film on my blog. The movie although shot pretty much with hand held camera, is still strikingly beautiful. I think this film also features in one of the top ten best gay films of all times. I am not sure if I will put it there on my ratings but still this one is pretty darn good film. Yossi and Jagger are both in military. Yossi, the company commander, is an introvert guy and largely a man-of-the-system. Jagger, the platoon commander, is an open and much more liberated guy. He is the star of the company. Yossi is determined to keep their love in secret. Whereas, Jagger, who is about to finish the service, believes that Yossi should leave the army with him. We get to see how Yossi and Jagger steal few moments here and there to be ...

This short narrative feature is directed by Eytan Fox, a famous Israeli gay director. The film is set in a small town in Israel. Mizti and Guri are friends. Guri wants to relocate to Tel Aviv before he's "outed". Guri is the only one who knows about him. We also meet the very obviously gay Nohav as well who likes Guri. They all meet at a dance class. Enter the hunk and macho man Merito. He seduces Mizti on the first day and she ends up having sex with him. Guri and Nohav get some to talk where Guri tells him that yes he is gay but he just wants to get out. Nohav tells him that his dream is to dance with the love of his life and win a local song contest. After getting Mizti in bed, Merito's next target is Guri, which is also a mission successfully achieved. The film ends with Guri getting into an art school in Tel Aviv and he decides to have a final dance with Nohav because he knows the latter has a crush on him. The music has been amply used in this film. This fi...