The Bubble
|
List Price: Our Price: $10.12 You Save: $17.87 (64%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $8.42 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Bubble
Movie Review: Star crossed lovers
Summary: 4 Stars
'The Bubble' is at its best when detailing the everyday life of idealistic, self-absorbed young Tel Aviv residents who feel removed from the harsher realities of the Israeli/Arab conflict. The scenes depicting the sweet, somewhat dreamy romance that unfolds between Noam, an Israeli reservist and record store clerk, and Ashraf, a Palestinian, are a pleasure to watch unfold. One of my favorite scenes is when Noam first introduces Ashraf to his roommates, and then takes Ashraf up to the rooftop and introduces him to his city."Tel Aviv, Ashraf; Ashraf, Tel Aviv".
Fans of Eytan Fox's earlier movie 'Yossi and Jagger' will be happy to see Ohad Knoller (Noam) portray another star-crossed lover. But while part of the charm of 'Yossi and Jagger' was the sometimes charged interactions between the effusive Jagger and the reserved Yossi, the romance between Noam and Ashraf is more muted. Noam tells Ashraf that they are "explosive" together, but their passion is more talked about than seen. I thought it would have been more interesting, and more believable, if Ashraf and Noam had argued about music, politics, religion, ANYTHING. Instead, they seem to be a couple completely devoid of conflict.
The charming romance ends abruptly soon after Ashraf returns to Nablus for his sister's wedding and a chain of events is unleashed that will change the lives of all of its characters. It is here when the movie begins to falter. I thought the final third of the movie was marred by too many improbable coincidences and by an implausible and, to my mind, nihilistic ending.
Even with these flaws, I would still recommend 'The Bubble', because it has more spirit and life in it than many more well-crafted movies do.
Movie Review: Sex and Politics and Boy Bands
Summary: 4 Stars
Israeli director Eytan Fox has juggled films with sex and politics before (Yossi & Jagger), but does so superbly in this tragic love story. Inside "The Bubble" that is Tel Aviv, Lulu works in a beauty shop, Yali manages a trendy cafe and Noam works in a music store. The three share an apartment until a chance encounter with a palestinian named Ashraf sets things into motion. Noam and Ashraf fall in love, even as Yali feels pangs of jealousy, and the trio of room mates conspire to shelter Ashraf in Tel Aviv.
Of course, Ashraf can't stay undercover forever, and when he heads back to the West Bank to attend his sister's wedding to a terrorist. When his closet life gets discovered, he becomes trapped between the two worlds. The idealistic trio back in Tel Aviv have planned a rave for co-existence, all while Jihad, the groom to be, plans out an act of violence to perpetuate the conflict. The thin lines of cultural violence and revenge weave back and forth as "The Bubble" plunges towards its conclusion.
While the crossing threads can seem a bit too obviously absurd, "The Bubble" still moves at a steady pace. It hits all the emotional high points with expertise, with Noam's singing Tim Buckley's "Song of the Siren" being especially moving. The love story is a good fit, as Noam and Ashraf make a believable star-crossed couple. The soundtrack is strong throughout, incorporating Bright Eyes, Lloyd Cole and others. Almost as good a film as Brokeback Mountain, "The Bubble" is an excellent entry into international gay cinema.
Movie Review: A re-telling of Romeo and Juliet, set in Israel-Palestine
Summary: 4 Stars
The lead actors in The Bubble and the characters they play are all appealing, and the film provided a look at Tel Aviv that I, pretty much an outsider to Israeli culture and politics, had never seen before. It was particularly interesting to learn about a youth movement in Israel that is sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians; one does not always hear about this movement when reading about Israel in the American press. Characters' observations about living in "a bubble" wherein idealism, intellectuality, and tolerance seem to insulate people from harsh realities in life are well taken.
The two male leads have a sweetly depicted romance that moves the film forward. The romantic/sexual explorations of two secondary characters provide comic relief and insight into the vexing foibles of 20 something love in a big city; these secondary situations are two-dimensional, though, and don't contribute as much to the film as the central relationship between a young Jewish Israeli guy and a Muslim Palestinian.
As is the case in Romeo and Juliet or West Side Story, The Bubble is melodrammatic in its resolution of the forbidden relationship between "star-crossed lovers." That said, the movie is enjoyable as a love story, as an introduction on a personal level to the emotional nuances of Israeli-Palestianian politics, and as an affirmation that there can be moral beauty in a loving relationship between two men--even when the world is hostile to the relationship.
Movie Review: "How Can You Tell In Real Time What's Real And What's A Bubble?" ~ The Explosive Nature Of Love And Politics
Summary: 4 Stars
The '07 Israeli film `The Bubble' was at times a rather difficult film for me to watch. The reason for my difficulty has nothing to do with the quality of filmmaking or acting, it's the homosexual content within the storyline. Not being of the gay persuasion this is the first film I've watched which displays physical contact between two males (no I haven't seen `BrokeBack Mountain'). Movies such as the `70's cult classic `The Boys in the Band' are easier to deal with, discussing homosexuality is not by any means the same as observing the physical act.
To be honest what initially drew me to `The Bubble' was the beautiful, unknown young woman on the cover (Daniela Virtzer), the subject matter of life in modern day Israel (Tel Aviv) and the explosive relationship between Jew and Arab as seen from an insiders perspective.
Now after watching `The Bubble' in its entirety I must admit that this is indeed a finely crafted, beautifully delivered tale of life, love and Middle East politics that's definitely worth viewing. The storyline is superb, the cast excellent and the ending poignant and totally unpredictable. Definitely not for everyone, especially children but if your open minded and looking for something challenging, thought provoking and surprisingly tender give this one a try.
P.S.: The sexual sequences are actually quite discreet and lacking in that overt, voyeuristic shock factor that might keep viewers away.
Movie Review: Some times even a bubble cannot protect us from reality.
Summary: 4 Stars
I first caught this movie at a film festival. I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Fox when he discussed the film. There are some scenes that could be edited and cleaned up. However the ending is the reality of what is taken place there. Some endings are not the fairy tale endings we look for.