Yossi and Jagger (2002)

Eytan Fox’s 67-minute film, “Yossi and Jagger” (2002), is a classic love story of two Israeli officers stationed in the Israeli-Lebanon border. Their love affair is placed side-by-side with the system that requires them to fight a cause they do not necessarily believe in. As most love stories told in film. “Yossi and Jagger” is predictable. At the onset, the film already presents an atmosphere of tragedy. True enough, Jagger dies in the end. Yaeli is one of the more interesting characters in the film, but it seems that the director is not interested on her. The editing is also somewhat choppy.

These flaws, however, are overshadowed by the superb ensemble acting, especially that of Ohad Knoler (Yossi) and Yuhuda Levi (Jagger). Their acting is so affecting and appealing that it makes relationships as presented in the film very believable: Knoler being the uptight and rigid company commander and Levi being the well loved and absolutely charming platoon commander. More specifically, Levi brings his character to vibrant life with the soft and borderline-flamboyant personality he projects on screen.

The chemistry between the two actors results in a believable relationship – the snowball fight scene which segues into the two men exchanging loving looks and kisses or Jagger’s playing of guitar and proposing his love for Yossi. A sure crowd pleaser is the scene when the typically cheerful Jagger is withdrawn and rigid when the usually stiff Yossi softens and awkwardly tries to make up with Jagger following a petty quarrel.

"Yossi and Jagger" is far from perfect in depicting homosexual love, but it surely has a space on my list of favorite films.

Paper Dolls (2006)

Tomer Heymann’s documentary, “Paper Dolls” (2006), is about the lives of a group of Filipino caregivers in Israel who call themselves Paper Dolls. They dress in drag and perform before an audience. At first, I thought the director’s presence in the film is somewhat self-serving, and for me, a documentary should be about the subject not the filmmaker. As the narration develops, however, his being there seems to be an integral part of the film: he becomes one of his subjects. This peculiar approach is a commentary on the sensitivity of filmmakers about their subjects.

The documentary successfully juxtaposes the dull and conservative part of Israel with the lively and colorful, albeit difficult lives of five gay migrant workers - Chiqui, Giorgio, Cheska, Jan, and Sally. It also shows the bonds between these friends and between them and the old people they take care of. Of particular interest is Sally’s heartwarming relationship with Chaim. “Paper Dolls” shows the personal struggles of these people alongside with the political problems in Israel.

Its shortcoming, however, is the unremarkable editing. There are some scenes that leave the audience wondering. For example, when Heymann tries to dress up like a Paper Doll, the scene shows him being transformed into one, and the next scene shows him removing the make-up. Also, the scene where Sally foes home to the Philippines and then suddenly back to Israel. Despite these flaws, “Paper Dolls” is still a joy to watch.