When a movie makes you cry during the opening credits, you know you're in for an emotional workout. And that's exactly what I got with Eytan Fox's "The Bubble," which is playing at the Landmark Theatres at Embarcadero Center and in Berkeley. If you're expecting a whimsical gay film, you will be totally taken by surprise.

"The Bubble" is the story of three roommates, 2 gay guys and a girl, who share an apartment in Tel Aviv's trendiest neighborhood. One of the roomies, Noam, serves as a reservist in the Israeli military in addition to his full time job in a music store.

Noam meets a young Palestinian, Ashraf, while working a West Bank checkpoint. The two befriend each other, and quickly find themselves romantically involved.

The other two roommates decide to do everything they can to keep Noam and Ashraf together, even though Ashraf is in Israel illegally. They give him a Hebrew name, get him a job as a waiter in a trendy restaurant, and show him the ropes. Ashraf is completely enthralled with the openness and freedom of Tel Aviv, a complete 180 from his life in the West Bank, where he has an arranged marriage waiting for him.

The friends call Tel Aviv "the bubble" because it is such a beautiful place surrounded by such turmoil. They are active in Israeli left wing causes, particularly arranging protests against Israeli policy toward the Palestinians. Naive they may be, but they truly believe that everyone, Arabs and Jews, should be able to get along if Israel would lighten up on the Palestinians. But, in the end, the politics of the day destroy their perfect world.

The ending scene will leave you a quivering pile of mush in your seat.

I highly recommend you see "The Bubble," but make sure you bring some Kleenex with you.