Yossi (2012)

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!

Utterly unexpected epic story, profoundly moving yet never sentimental and never pretentious.... A doctor is healed by his connection with a group of rowdy soldiers....beautifully directed..astonishing central performances...beyond merely touching, truly joyful... Cuts right to the heart of loneliness, dread of intimacy and isolation and even manages to suggest a path out of the mess. All told with passion beneath the surface...moving, funny, sexy, devastating, and all when you least expect it...towering central performances and brilliant cameos.. The best film I've seen in years....absolutely not just for gay audiences as it achieves a remarkable human universality.

Whilst the script and setting where promising, this film left me feeling bored and disappointed. The direction was schoolboy, the casting a mistake. The actor playing Yossi over acted the awkward nature of his character so much that it left him as an emotionless, yet unfortunately omnipresent part of the film. The reflective scenes were scarcely pensive and unenlightening and the intimate scenes were cold and uncommunicative. At no point in this film did I feel connected with the main characters.Rarely does a film leave me feeling quite so unentertained, unchallenged and disinterested as Yossi. Give it a miss...

In 2002, director Eytan Fox brought us "Yossi & Jagger, " a film simply described as "a gay love story between two Israeli soldiers." It packed a lot of emotion and feeling in a scant 65 minutes. If you haven't seen that film, please do – and stop reading this review as there are major spoilers to that film contained herein.It's ten years later, and Fox returns with the even more simply titled "Yossi," which continues the story of the aforementioned character. Yossi (Ohad Noller) is out of the military, a practicing physician, and incredibly lonely and unhappy. (Having your lover die in your arms can lead to such a life.) He spends a lot of time at the hospital avoiding the unwanted advances of female colleagues and his time at home trolling chat rooms and hook up sites. He's ten years older, several pounds heavier and still unable to deal with the truth about who he is. The emptiness in Yossi's life is never more evident then in a particularly devastating scene involving a chat room hook up.Forced by his hospital administrator to take some time off, Yossi heads off on a road trip (to Gaza?!) and happens upon a group of soldiers who missed their transport. He offers them a lift to the resort they're headed for, and ends up staying there. There seems to be this one particular soldier… And so it goes. Yossi's reawakening begins.An interesting side note is that "Yossi" also gives us a glimpse of how an openly gay soldier serving his country is treated by fellow soldiers – pretty much how every other soldier is treated. Mind you, gay men and women have been able to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces for over twenty years now and their world hasn't crumbled yet (though it always seems to be on a precipice, for any number of reason.) Coming in at an also compact 84 minutes, "Yossi" is a sweet tale of starting to find one's way back after losing a love - something to which everyone, gay or straight, can probably relate.www.worstshowontheweb.com