The Bubble (2007)

Three young Israelis, two guys and a girl, share an apartment in Tel Aviv's hippest neighborhood: headstrong Lulu, who works in a bath products boutique; flamboyant Yali, who manages a trendy café; and brooding music store clerk Noam, who spends his weekends serving at checkpoints in the National Guard. When Noam meets and falls in love with a Palestinian man named Ashraf, he and his friends conspire to help Ashraf stay on in Tel Aviv illegally. They participate in a beach rally, celebrating a peaceful coexistence, and calling for an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories. But ultimately, their carefully constructed utopia is shattered by the political and social realities of the Middle East, and the constant outbursts of violence. Product Description

The Bubble

Once again it proves that all you need to make a great film is the story and talent. No need for all these wild special effects, just great story telling. This Israel film has so much to think about with the story woven around 4 central figures. I simply loved this film and the music is excellent. Watch it, you won't be disapointed. August 28, 2008

"How Can You Tell In Real Time What's Real And What's A Bubble?" ~ The Explosive Nature Of Love And Politics

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. July 22, 2008

A re-telling of Romeo and Juliet, set in Israel-Palestine

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. June 5, 2008

Good follow-up to Eytan Fox's 'Walk on Water'

As a big fan and proselytizer of Eytan Fox's 2004 smash hit, Walk on Water, I rubbed my hands in anticipation to see that his follow-up, The Bubble, was now on DVD. While this one doesn't measure up to 'Water,' it's definitely compulsory viewing for those of you who, if you're like me, enjoy great Israeli cinema.

Fox is a trenchant observer of Israeli/Arab conflicts. In these last two films, he's poked his thumb in the eye of 'official' government policy in subtle but notable ways. In 'Water,' he depicts Lior Ashkenazi's Mossad agent tiring of and eventually giving up his life of walled-off vigilance. Here in 'The Bubble,' we see a group of young Israelis bond (unknowingly, for some) with a Palestinian compatriot. [And, as an added bonus, we get Ashkenazi playing himself in a Tel Aviv performance of 'Bent'. That was an outstanding touch by Fox.]

I think the film could have done with an ending slightly less melodramatic than what Fox has offered up here (can't really even hint at it here without giving it away). Also, this film got made and released before 2006's fierce conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. I wonder if that would have changed the movie, as skillfully written by Fox and longtime partner (professionally and otherwise) Gal Uchovsky. The movie's title refers to Tel Aviv's walled-off "life goes on" verve as battles often rage just a scant distance away on the country's very close borders. In the 2006 conflict, The Bubble must have seemed, to put it mildly, somewhat less disconnected from all that.

I especially liked the work turned in by Yousef Sweid here as 'Ashraf.' He was Palestinian waiter 'Rafik' in 'Walk on Water.'

Now, here's my updated list of 'gotta see' pieces of Israeli cinema, presented in no particular order....other than 'The Syrian Bride,' which is first on the list because it's first in my mind:

The Syrian Bride
Time of Favor
Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi
Broken Wings
Late Marriage
Walk on Water
The Bubble
Yana's Friends May 17, 2008

The Bubble: Love Transcending Politics

This is a beautiful film, because it captures the incomprehensible political situation in the Middle East in terms many of us can relate to. The characters are very believable and I found myself becoming very attached to them. That made the message of the film all the more difficult to take in. This film will be with me for a long time to come. May 11, 2008

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