Interesteg What makes it different from others?

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Bene Cumb Joint headwords "gay", "Islam", "Arabs in Israel" are already so versatile and involving so much controversy that, based on them, one can expect a creation full of hatred, resentment and violence and with taking sides. But differently, Out in the Dark is a film dedicated to high human values (love, trust, friendship, loyalty), and the background and headwords mentioned are only the means to express them. Thus, the result is a pleasant, not strictly a gay film, with love pleasantly depicted, without domination of lust or gay clubbing, with political and social issues present, but without black-and-white approach or appeals to end the situation present in Israel by any means. Both the leading performers - Nicholas Jacob, Michael Aloni - do a great job, and the ambiguous ending let the viewers nicely ponder on and over the main topics of the film.Thus, Out in the Dark - with so relevant title - is a fine opportunity to become acquainted with modern Israeli cinema.

jwieczorek Out in the Dark is one of those movies that is a needle in a haystack and only comes along every once in awhile. The story follows a young Palestinian student and the battles he deals with on a daily basis; an ambitious, driven university student who is desperately trying to make a better life for himself. When he falls in love one night at a club in Tel-Aviv, his world is turned upside down and he is torn between two worlds; his desire and love for Roy, a young, handsome, Israeli lawyer and his tense closeted life in the West Bank. The director does a phenomenal job as does the lead actors (Nicholas Jacob as Nimr and Michael Aloni as Roy) at portraying the highly controversial themes of sexuality in the Middle East, and the extreme tension between Israel and Palestine. Through Nimr, the viewer is immersed in these conflicts, conflicts that many of us would not have exposure to otherwise. We as the viewer, get to witness the horrible realities that come along with being gay in modern day Palestine, along with what it means to be a Palestinian in Israel through Nimr's eyes.This movie brings along with it, tense, controversial topics and portrays them perfectly, on the basis of two individuals who will defy their country, religion, and family to be with one another. The story is an emotional one and will have you frustrated, happy, and sad throughout the scenes. Realistic, intense, and even gritty at times, Out in the Dark is definitely a must-see and will instantly become a favorite. By the movie's end it will leave you believing that despite everything in this world, love really can and will conquer all.

lasttimeisaw A formidably engaging queer output from Israel, my second entry into this particular scenario after Haim Tabakman's EYES WIDE OPEN (2009, 6/10). OUT IN THE DARK is director Michael Mayer's debut feature, and he co-writes the script of an arresting drama wrestles with coming-out, domestic conflict, political witch-hunt, social discrimination against homosexuality with appalling atrocity. It touches on many thorny and grim issues of the facts-of-life in the middle east (perceptively chooses Palestine and Israel, the two adjacent foes, for their utter incompatibility in politics and religions, whereas love can conquer these all), tellingly and touchingly eulogizes an ode to the true love's indestructible strength albeit a gloomy future is probably anticipating for the star-crossed lovers Nimr (Jacob), a Palestinian student and Roy (Aloni), a young lawyer from Israel. A powerful gut-punch followed by a chilling emotional shake is my instant feeling of the uncertain and ambiguous ending, it is abrupt but also perfect, since a self-deceptive happy ending is not likely in any case, at the very end, Roy sacrifices his promise for Nimr's safety, who is totally entrapped in the menacing reality and has no one to rely on except him, being a stowaway is by far the only way out for Nimr, at least he can survive, as long as he is alive, there is hope for a reunion, this is the optimistic leitmotif "love can always find a way" which strikes as a potent leap of faith for audience. The unresting and wobbly camera-work intrepidly creates a claustrophobic environment both for the movie's suffocating tensions and the arousing intimacy, as a first-time project, Mayer has the real knack to organize a compelling story with succinct cuts and minimal elements, also his attention to details is a great trait for this line of work. For instance, in the halfway, when Nimr forfeits his border pass to enter Tel Aviv, he can only communicate with Roy through telephone, after a distressing phone call, the camera gives a close-up to Nimr's cellphone on the floor, which he leaves behind in anxiety, the close-up certainly suggests the phone is playing a role to the plot, after a verbal dispute with his brother Nabil (Khoury), he heads back but doesn't pick up the phone. But Mayer hasn't forgotten it, in the next shot, Roy's sister Abir (Daw) accidentally reads an SMS from Roy, it sounds quite drab in written form, but during the viewing, it is this acuteness in details makes the narrative work with credibility. Two gorgeous males play Nimr and Roy, Nicholas Jacob is a non-professional but sympathetically extracts his raw sex appeal and inexorable desperation to the scenes where is needed. Michael Aloni, a pure eye-candy and exudes great force of personality as Roy, the lover-cum-savior for Nimr, he is the one who can exit with a clean slate, but against all odds, he sticks around and never give up hope, Aloni competently strides onto the top tier in my Supporting Actor category. So, the film is an outstanding drama evokes soul-searching reverberations for its viewers with a rather mature execution for a debut feature, recommended to all non-prejudiced cinephiles.

firebolt1987 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.