This is one of the most beautiful and touching films I've seen. While it touched me personally as a gay man, I really believe it's for everyone regardless of their sexuality or views on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
The story centers on Nimr, a young Palestinian man studying psychology at Birzeit university. At night, Nimr avoids border patrols to illegally enter Tel Aviv and go to gay bars; his conservative family doesn't know about his sexual orientation. It's this way that he meets Roy, a handsome Israeli lawyer working at his well-connected father's law firm, and the two instantly hit it off. Nimr initially receives a student visa that would enable him to visit Tel Aviv once a week to take a course. However, the honeymoon is soon over for the young couple, when Israeli security forces attempt to blackmail Nimr by threatening to reveal his sexuality to his family unless he collaborates with them. Given that his family - including a brother who's part of an extremist rebel movement - will clearly disown him (or worse) if they find out, Nimr is backed into a corner.
As the film progresses, Nimr's situation gets increasingly dark and dangerous, while Roy scrambles to pull any strings he can to help his lover but comes up short. In the third act, "Out" transitions into a thriller, as Nimr is on the run from Israeli authorities and the two lovers must decide how far they'll go to save him. It becomes more and more evident how appropriate the film's title is, as the situation the protagonists are in forces them to run and hide, keep their love literally and figuratively in the dark, rather than celebrate it.
Mayer has stated that while his film has political themes, it is far more personal than political, and this truth is a major strength of the film. Mayer and co-writer Yael Shafrir aren't out to send a political message or choose a side. They show the evil on both sides, as the focus is internal, on the struggle the couple goes through to stay together. The love story itself is incredibly heartwarming and tender, whether we're watching a steamy (yet tasteful) love scene between the two men, bonding about their childhoods, or Roy comforting Nimr over the horrible loss of a friend. And the chemistry between the two leads is off the charts, gluing us to the screen whenever they share it. This is crucial, because it ensures we've invested in the fate of this forbidden romance.
Mayer deserves a ton of credit for pulling off such an impressive directorial debut (this is his first feature film). While the film is very well made on the technical side, from cinematography to editing to music, I'll focus on the performances. Nicholas Jacob, a first-time actor, is a revelation as Nimr. He instantly creates an earnest, charming, likable protagonist, who evokes our sympathy more and more as his situation deteriorates. Shades of vulnerability, sadness and fear stir in Nimr's eyes as we watch this jaded young man try to hold on to what little hope he has. "Out" wouldn't be half the film it is if it wasn't for Jacob's powerful performance. Michael Aloni's role as Roy isn't as meaty, but he delivers as well, showing Roy's compassion and care for the man he was instantly smitten with. Roy's initial naïveté, believing Nimr's situation can be resolved by just going to the authorities, reflects his privileged well-connected background, so very different from his lover's. Later in the film, however, it is replaced by desperation at the couple's seemingly untenable predicament, and then by determination to do whatever it takes to help Nimr – Aloni pulls off all of these beats.
The film ends on a dark, but ambiguous note, which I found appropriate. A crowd-pleasing happy ending would have been unrealistic under the circumstances. But given the heart and tenderness of the film, keeping hope alive in the end was the right choice in my opinion. I appreciate that Mayer and Shafrir didn't go for a full-blown tragic ending.
Romeo and Juliet stories might seem like a worn-out genre, but when done well, I believe that love fighting against all odds is still a tale worth telling. "Out" is not a film for gay people or "leftists". It's not about homophobia or the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. It's about love and the desperate fight it must put up to survive in a world ruled by hate.
The story centers on Nimr, a young Palestinian man studying psychology at Birzeit university. At night, Nimr avoids border patrols to illegally enter Tel Aviv and go to gay bars; his conservative family doesn't know about his sexual orientation. It's this way that he meets Roy, a handsome Israeli lawyer working at his well-connected father's law firm, and the two instantly hit it off. Nimr initially receives a student visa that would enable him to visit Tel Aviv once a week to take a course. However, the honeymoon is soon over for the young couple, when Israeli security forces attempt to blackmail Nimr by threatening to reveal his sexuality to his family unless he collaborates with them. Given that his family - including a brother who's part of an extremist rebel movement - will clearly disown him (or worse) if they find out, Nimr is backed into a corner.
As the film progresses, Nimr's situation gets increasingly dark and dangerous, while Roy scrambles to pull any strings he can to help his lover but comes up short. In the third act, "Out" transitions into a thriller, as Nimr is on the run from Israeli authorities and the two lovers must decide how far they'll go to save him. It becomes more and more evident how appropriate the film's title is, as the situation the protagonists are in forces them to run and hide, keep their love literally and figuratively in the dark, rather than celebrate it.
Mayer has stated that while his film has political themes, it is far more personal than political, and this truth is a major strength of the film. Mayer and co-writer Yael Shafrir aren't out to send a political message or choose a side. They show the evil on both sides, as the focus is internal, on the struggle the couple goes through to stay together. The love story itself is incredibly heartwarming and tender, whether we're watching a steamy (yet tasteful) love scene between the two men, bonding about their childhoods, or Roy comforting Nimr over the horrible loss of a friend. And the chemistry between the two leads is off the charts, gluing us to the screen whenever they share it. This is crucial, because it ensures we've invested in the fate of this forbidden romance.
Mayer deserves a ton of credit for pulling off such an impressive directorial debut (this is his first feature film). While the film is very well made on the technical side, from cinematography to editing to music, I'll focus on the performances. Nicholas Jacob, a first-time actor, is a revelation as Nimr. He instantly creates an earnest, charming, likable protagonist, who evokes our sympathy more and more as his situation deteriorates. Shades of vulnerability, sadness and fear stir in Nimr's eyes as we watch this jaded young man try to hold on to what little hope he has. "Out" wouldn't be half the film it is if it wasn't for Jacob's powerful performance. Michael Aloni's role as Roy isn't as meaty, but he delivers as well, showing Roy's compassion and care for the man he was instantly smitten with. Roy's initial naïveté, believing Nimr's situation can be resolved by just going to the authorities, reflects his privileged well-connected background, so very different from his lover's. Later in the film, however, it is replaced by desperation at the couple's seemingly untenable predicament, and then by determination to do whatever it takes to help Nimr – Aloni pulls off all of these beats.
The film ends on a dark, but ambiguous note, which I found appropriate. A crowd-pleasing happy ending would have been unrealistic under the circumstances. But given the heart and tenderness of the film, keeping hope alive in the end was the right choice in my opinion. I appreciate that Mayer and Shafrir didn't go for a full-blown tragic ending.
Romeo and Juliet stories might seem like a worn-out genre, but when done well, I believe that love fighting against all odds is still a tale worth telling. "Out" is not a film for gay people or "leftists". It's not about homophobia or the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. It's about love and the desperate fight it must put up to survive in a world ruled by hate.