A Masterpiece!

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I enjoyed Yossi far more than Yossi & Jagger, of which it's a 10-years-later sequel to. The superb film explores the real and very human experience of loss and depression. The writer/director, and especially the actor in the role, captured Yossi's despair in a poignant and visceral way. Anyone who has experienced the depths of depression for themselves will recognize it as all too familiar.Upon my first viewing, I will admit that I was uncertain about the love interest. I thought he might be too young for Yossi. I would've preferred someone a bit closer to mid-thirties than mid-twenties. However, that said, I recognize that part of the appeal of Tom was that he was a reminder of what Yossi once had, and lost. Therefore it was a sort of healing of the past for him as well as a healing of the heart.At first, the ending was a bit too sweet and saccharin for me as well. But after I viewed the entire film once more, I began to see that perhaps it shouldn't be taken quite so literally. It is far more about hope and possibility, about moving on and finally living life, rather than about running away and "forever".It's deplorable, though, how some reviewers elsewhere disparage Yossi's physical appearance. It's shallow and devalues the beauty of the film itself. Some may not know it, but that is what deep depression truly looks like. And yes, a person can be that mired in a deep depression for 10 years, or even longer, quite easily. Can become stuck in time. Anyone who has battled depression throughout their lifetime would probably concur on that.There was a reviewer who brilliantly suggested that Yossi's outward appearance is actually a representation of his inner self. That what we see is how Yossi sees and feels about himself, not necessarily how he appears to others. I quite like that take on it.Yossi transcends films that focus almost solely on the "sexuality" aspect of a character or story. It gives the audience much to think about because it's a study on the human experience. More and more, films with queer characters are pulling away from the "queer" genre toward universal themes, telling more universal stories. I hope it's a trend that continues.A great deal of thought and care went into creating the film, and I think that's very clear from beginning to end. Yossi is wonderful and should be watched at least twice through because there is so much to discover. I wish more films were this exceptional and well-made.

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...

Both of these movies were powerful films and the sequel does not disappoint. Ohad Knoller did a wonderful job. One of the existing reviews seemed to judge everything based on the looks of the individual actors in the film which seemed rather shallow. I did agree with them on some points though. Yes, Yossi, in spite of the weight he has added, still carried the movie, and he is still a strikingly handsome fellow. At first I could not recognize him as the same fellow that was in Jossi and Jagger. Secondly, the toilet scene where the other doctor brings a girl in to have a threesome with Yossi, seemed a little out of place, but perhaps it added some additional perspective to the lonely and dismal place that Jossi was in his life at that stage. Overall, I loved the movie and would say that it is easily Israel's answer to Brokeback Mountain. I thought about Jossi for days after viewing the film in much the same way I did when I saw Brokeback Mountain.I would now like to see anything with Ohad Knoller in it...he is my new favorite actor. Go Ohad!!!

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 pushed to take a vacation, Yossi takes on a solitary road trip. He ends up picking 4 soldiers as hitchhikers who miss their bus. The groups of 4 is very very fun loving and they taunt him with the name Mozart. One of the guys in the group, Tom is gay and he and the others are very comfortable with it. Tom wants to spend time with Yossi who still prefers to be on his own just reading books but Tom won't leave him alone. Its Tom, who make Yossi come out of his cocoon and he helps Yossi evaluate his problems over a period of time and Tom helps him bring back being comfortable with who he is.From the production values perspective, this film is Eytan Fox's best work to date. Even in terms of story and direction, it is a very accomplished work. As a viewer we really get to experience what Yossi is going through. It has been 10 years since Jagger's death but every single day, Yossi is still suffering thinking whether Jagger heard or not when he said 'I Love You'. Yossi is in denial of his nonexistent social life. Following his daily routine, the audience also sees something very humane and sad. No one would wish something like that for anyone. The inner turmoil that he goes through on whether or not to meet Jagger's parents is also done very very well. He is actually heart-wrenching. The movie then just goes in to a completely different dimension when Yossi goes a road trip. Yossi is always apologetic and ashamed of himself and his body. The young soldier Tom makes him realize that time have changed, Israel has changed and Yossi can be OK with who he is. In fact in a very touching scene when Yossi and Tom are about to get into bed, it is Tom who pushes Yossi to be comfortable with himself and his body and be proud of it. The acting from everyone is impeccable. Casuality driven Yossi, still in closet, carrying on from his military days has been acted really really well. The new guy Tom, does good job and looks cute but he does not have that mischief and innocent pure face and eyes of Jagger. He was something else.A definite watch. I am so glad I decided to watch the prequel first and follow it up with this movie. I was able to connect with it even more and was still very very satisfied.