Yossi (2012)
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Yossi Movie Review
Yossi is a 2012 Israeli drama film directed by Eytan Fox and starring Ohad Knoller. It’s an absolutely fabulous sequel.
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“I won’t do it like this.
I want to see you“
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Yossi, a closeted gay doctor, has his quiet world turned upside down when a woman from his past shows up. Their emotionally charged reunion causes Yossi to leave Tel Aviv. Then, he finally gets another chance at romance after a decade. There are so many reasons why this film should be seen as a template for perfect sequel screenwriting, especially as it relates to the drama genre.
First and foremost, Yossi is technically a vastly superior feature than its small budget-affected predecessor. Gone is the grainy feel to the photography and what we have here is a very polished, cinematic aesthetic with some particularly inspired shots and takes. Eytan Fox’s direction was good before, but here it is extremely confident and simply brilliant.
The biggest reason why the film is much better, however, lies in its script, which is so much richer this time around and thematically incredibly sophisticated and layered in meaning and depth. The film builds on the original so perfectly. It not only improves upon it, but it uses it as an emotional undercurrent for the story itself.
The scene that was the most emotionally rewarding as it relates to the first movie has to be the reunion between Yossi and his diseased lover’s mother. This is where the picture reached the biggest feelings of regret, sadness and catharsis. It was both uncomfortable and also heartbreaking.
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Yossi himself is incredibly well developed. It is not difficult to feel sorry for him and root for him to find happiness as the film paints so well what a tortured soul he is and how unfair the cards that he got in life are. Ohad Knoller’s performance is even better this time around as he is magnificent and he sold every emotion. This is one of the deepest, most realistic characters ever depicted in a gay film.
I also really liked Tom. He was such a sweetheart and a great example of how some young, beautiful men can appreciate older, less conventionally hot people. The romance that blossoms between the two is deeply touching and wonderful for sure, but it is also immensely important in the message that it preaches. It is one of the most inspirational films when it comes to body positivity and the incredible importance of self-respect that it is downright essential viewing. The moment where the two undress was so moving and the film was very elegant and tasteful by focusing on the emotion than sexually provocative scenes.
Another great sequence is the one where Yossi tries online dating only to be rebuffed by a handsome man who is insulted by his appearance because Yossi sent an unrepresentative photo of himself. This scene is very truthful in how it treats this issue. It does showcase how Yossi was wrong for doing that, but the man in question is so vain and horrible toward him, thus emphasizing how unfortunately obsessed with good looks the gay community is.
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Yossi is slower and meditative, but still highly engaging throughout. Yes, some of the scenes in the hospital were a bit fabricated and unnecessary in the first act, but the rest of the film was incredibly well written and very poignant. The dialogue is fantastic and the minimalism and great attention to detail are quite evident.
