I am bias about this movie, I really liked it as an 18 year old trying to figure himself out, and as a 27 year old, I still like it, because it is relevant to our times, which is quite sad and tragic.

I am going to leave my commentaries about Israel and its military towards the end of this review:

Plot:

Yossi is an Israeli military commander and Lior,, his subordinate and a team leader nicknamed Jagger due to his handsome looks, are in a budding gay closeted relationship on a Lebanon-Israeli border outpost. They're love is charming and you can see it in many ways, both the actual banter, kissing, and subtle hints.

Then, comes a colonel with a few "ladies", the plot never tells us whether they were prostitutes or just groupies. The colonel has new order for Yossi, he is to attack Lebanonese positions that night. Yossi is fiercely against this move as his soldiers are tired from an ambush earlier, it will be a full moon on open field, and he does not like the colonel non-chalant escalation of conflict.

However, Yossi a dutiful soldier agree to the task.

During this time, one of the girls has a crush on Jagger, which amounts to litttle to no story build up, except a potential problem between him and another soldier later on. The real emotional drama happens, when Yossi and Jagger talk privately about Jagger's life outside the military. His tour is about to end and he wants Yossi to join him in coming out. Yossi is a practical military man and does not feel ready for a long term relationship, so he rebuffs the offer.

Jagger is more or less openly gay, his fellow soldiers some times may make joked about "faggots" and stereotypical gay things, but he openly defends himself without them or him getting into much trouble. There is real comradery that trascends any type of stigma or problems.

They have their doomed night time raid and Jagger is killed; Yossi is remorsefully apologizing for not being brav enough to accept a life with him as he dies. In the end, Yossi and the girl from earlier, who had a crush on Jagger, went to visit Jagger/Lior's family. Yossi went up to his room and looked over a photo album of his dead lover, contemplating with regret the life that was lost as the screen fades out to black.

Review:

My 2nd gay movie and my earliest favorite. I absolutely loved this movie for its poignant look at people on the edge, soldiers trying to live by what life has given them, and even the tragedy.

However, let me give a few negative points, I didn't need two stupid "ladies" with no backstory and only drama within a film that is little more than 60 minutes

. I also did not like some of the shaky camera work after re-watching it again; yes, I liked it when I was in college and it was 2005, but 9 years later, the concept of shaky camera is getting old and I thought it distracted from the film's story.

The best part of this movie are the core characters of its title: Yossi and Jagger or Lior.

Jagger/Lior is a gay character that an audience of our peers can like and his dream of living a peaceful and normal life with the man he loves is not too much to ask for. I also really like how he went off on Yossi, when they were in Yossi's room, you got the feeling that he desperately wanted to cling onto something worth living for. He was ready to go on vacation with Yossi, get a single queen sized bed , and go home to out himself to his parents. This was a guy with plans for a life after the fighting.

Yossi is a practical guy, who has insecurities and fears, but he really does love his boyfriend. Throughout the movie, you can see that he wants to do what is right for Jagger in their relationship and what is right by his men in the horribly planned ambush proposed by his womanizing brute Colonel. However, he just is not ready to make such leaps of faith or force an issue far enough to reach the proper course. He's a military man and a conventional man, who lives by the rules that society have given him. Gay men must remain closetted and military officers must follow the chain of command. Tragic lessons for him to follow.

For the movie's depiction of an Israeli military unit, I thought it looked very good despite the shaky cameras. When they actually reduce the jumpy shots, the movie was gritty and naturally dark, which works well with its theme and its premise. I also liked the director's approach to the Israeli soldiers' attitudes of life, you never know when it is the end.

For the movie itself, I give it 8.5 out of 10, a good movie, superb acting, and great themes. The weakness were supporting characters and camera work

Now as for my take on the Israeli military and its conflicts, I get what they are fighting for and I don't fault their soldiers for it. They are trying defend their own way of life and their people from all outside foes, which predominantly are Arab nations and Muslims.

However, I know most movies are one sided, the Palestinians, Lebanonese, and other groups would say other things. This is their land as well.

Israle has a right to exist and so does Palestine, but these arguments will only perpetuate an endless cycle of warfare. I hope they realize that all they are doing is buring their sons and daughters earlier than their time and are guarenteeing their grandchildren will have the same fates. Israel's settlement system must be reformed and so does Palestine's political structure.

My belief for how other nations should play out in the middle east is a hands off strategy, western nations should not get involved in their affairs, but they should prevent Russian and Chinese arms shipments from crossing over as well.

We should strive to preserve the peace, not enforce the peace. All sides have to realize that arm shipments to one side and open war is not going to create a lasting peace.