Movie reviews

15TH JEWISH MOTIFS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

JONATHAN AGASSI SAVED MY LIFE

Watchable. Another documentary by Tomer Heymann, the director known for exquisite "Mr. Gaga". More niche than the dance movie. This one's about a gay porn star which, I think, is the only reason it did not blow me away. The protagonist, originally Yonatan, who changed his name for stage purposes, is adorably cute and warm. I used to think gay men and straight women had a lot in common but from the part of the picture covering his porn career I can see that gay fantasies are quite different than straight women's. The rest of the film dives deep into Jonathan's psyche. He lived with his mum who would ask him and his brother to act in videos to be sent to his runaway dad. His father used to be the red camera dot. You can see the connection to Agassi's movie career later in life. Then you witness their meeting. He hoovered the flat for his dad's visit which is only unsettling minutes later when you realise how the father had been treating him all his life. After disastrous meetings with his irresponsible father, he goes on a drug spree and loses his libido. He looks like a beaten dog.  

The Q&A with the director and the protagonist's mother gave me extra insight. The director also first thought the movie would be about a successful man. Jonathan Agassi first thought Tomer Heymann would have sex with him in the film. Jonathan/Yonatan is clear of drugs now and has a regular job. As his caring mother says, love at home helped him. Anna, Yonatan's mother, looks better in real life than in the film. His mother's a painter which sheds light on the son's artistic inclinations. These days he maintains kind-of-buddies contact with his father (who's seen the film). Jonathan did drugs for many years. He saw himself in the mirror of the documentary and then he understood his life was an illusion. School was traumatic for Yonatan, they wanted to get rid of the problematic child, the thinking was: "how we can change Yonatan".

LONGING 

Recommended. A deeply moving and tear-jerking manifold psychologic drama not only about mourning but also about how complex life is. You look at the same events with different people's eyes which lets you see how multilayered each person is. 

The scriptwriter's inspiration was a similar ceremony which had really taken place among taoists in Singapore. The director's closest friend died 6 years ago and the initial dedication in the movie is to him. The main actor is a comedian in Israel so the director had to delete the little smile in his eyes. Savi Gabizon said the protagonist didn't give money to the son's friend in the begging in order to show that he didn't solve problems with money. The worse the son was the more fatherhood the writer could get into the father's character.

HERE AND NOW

Walked out. Protracted and without a purpose. Just about daily problems of a rapper who's a young father facing eviction and doing manual work. Nothing I could identify with or look forward to. The gun trope is derivative. 

FRACTURES

Watchable. I was about 20 minutes late but the crystal-clear structure let me get into the story rightaway. The sexual harassment plot is engaging but fails to protect the victim. It demonstrates the viewpoint of each of the people involved without making it clear who's guilty. The kid plays on the defence in a match at the same time his father faces the accusation. The story's not concluded. 

It's based on the director's theatrical play which explains the lack of conclusion. The scriptwriter has had child and adult experience of sexual harassment. I found it shocking how the audience blamed the victim in the film. The bias was disturbing. 

IN YOUR EYES

Watchable. Pleasant, colourful, with top-notch Ethiopian music by Moti Taki. Drag queen Suzi Boum, shown in a few fabulous outfits, disarms haters reacting to their remarks: "Thank you. I love you." You learn about the adoption process for a gay couple. The two Israeli men have to get the embryo from India and use a US mother as a surrogate - the cost is 130 K dollars. Still, the concoction is kind-of insipid.

The subsequent Q&A with Suzi Boum was all about him. If the drag queen encounters reluctance at events where he works 24/7: bachelor parties, company functions, weddings, he explains he comes to bring joy which immediately disarms people. His glamorous skimp dresses are all hand-made in Bangkok. Shaving eye-brows and making up takes him 2 hours. He spent 3 years in the army as an Arabic-Hebrew translator. He doesn't want to be a woman - it's just fun. His boyfriend presented in the documentary from a year ago is his ex now. He wanted an open relationship, Suzi refused, he insisted so then Suzi said: "OK, you want it open so open the door", which wasn't easy after 10 years together. Ah, and he wants to have 3 children.