Yom Yom / (Ws Sub)

Life in Israel, at least according to Amos Gitai's dry dark comedy, YOM YOM, is complicated business. The extremity of feeling surrounding the politics of the country has an impact on every aspect of life there, and even in the bedroom of his beautiful mistress, the hapless Moshe (Moshe Ivgi) cannot escape it. Moshe is a feckless fortyish hypocondriac who works for his parents in their bakery. He is having marital problems. Both he and his wife have been unfaithful, and, against the wishes of his domineering mother, Hanna (Hanna Maron), Moshe is considering divorce. Meanwhile, his mistress, Grisha (the stunning Nataly Atiya), unbeknownst to him, also cavorts with his volatile best friend, Jule (Juliano Mer). Complicating Moshe's understanding of the world, his mother is Israeli, while his proud father, Yussef, is an Arab. The audience never quite knows what turn Gitai's deadpan comedy will take, and this is part of what makes it so fascinating. He has made a movie about Israeli life that manages to be sexy, funny, and engaging, while giving us a glimpse of the pain and confusion that infuse every aspect that conflicted state.