Who's in It: Ohad Knoller, Yousef Sweid, Alon Friedman, Daniela Virtzer, Shredi Jabarin
The Basics: Three young Israelis — a girl who works in a little boutique, a guy who works in a hip café and another guy who works in a cool record shop — do their best to avoid the troubled politics of the region. And then the record-store guy falls in love with a Palestinian guy. Because it's not enough hassle being gay in the Middle East, you have to go and hit it with everyone's favorite enemy, too.
What's the Deal? I know a gay guy from Israel, and he often says how the problems aren't so bad there and how undangerous it is. So this isn't just a fantasy film — apparently it is possible for some people to remain politically detached and inside the "bubble" the title refers to. And until the final chunk of the movie, it's upbeat and non-angsty, preferring to focus on hipster sex and beach parties, while only occasionally going after the politics of the never-ending conflict.
How It's Like a Sitcom: Take Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place and Friends and Three's Company and toss them into Tel Aviv. That'll give you an idea of what it's like to watch the three Israelis help dress up the new Palestinian boyfriend in cooler clothes and try to keep him illegally in their social circle (he's got no papers). That's not a slam. It's kind of nice to see a movie focus on the micro instead of trying to cover all the bases.
One Problem: That last chunk I talked about is sort of predictably tragic in that now-you-will-all-pay way. But I guess you can't construct a cinematic bubble without popping it before the credits roll.
Pedigree: Director Eytan Fox also made Walk on Water and Yossi & Jagger.