everything is illuminated

[pete]

it's about a young Jewish American man endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village.  starring elijah wood.


my buddy's band Devotchka did the music at the end of the trailer.

[noyes]

looks alright. i feel like i should read safran's book before watching this.

[Ghostboy]

It's okay. It really should have been longer - like, maybe even a mini-series on HBO or something. Or maybe it could have been told in 90 minutes, but either way, Liev Schrieber might not be the best director for the project. He's obviously passionate about the material, but I think perhaps he was too close to it - his approach assumes a familiarity with the story that leaves the movie feeling, to me, having not read the book, disjointed and uninclusive.

Good acting and Libatique cinematography, though. After Sin City, though, Elijah Wood can't help but be creepy. Especially when he wears glasses with thick rims.

[Pubrick]

my buddy's band Devotchka did the music at the end of the trailer.

i don't recall that stuff u gave us to steal that one day being anything like that. as in, being any good. is this different stuff?

[mutinyco]

his approach assumes a familiarity with the story that leaves the movie feeling, to me, having not read the book, disjointed and uninclusive.

Sure that's not because it's by a Jew about Jews?...

[meatwad]

my buddy's band Devotchka did the music at the end of the trailer.

your buddy is in devotchka? their album "how it ends" is excellent. more people should be checking them out

[hedwig]

i've been meaning to read the book for years..             edit - nevermind

[Ghostboy]

Sure that's not because it's by a Jew about Jews?...

Of course I'm sure. It's narratively problematic, not culturally. I've seen plenty of movies by Jews about Jews that are just fine.

[mutinyco]

I have no doubt it was edited down to a manageable running time. That's how it felt. The movie's narrative is also, by the way, a small piece of the book, not unlike what The Door In the Floor was to A Widow For One Year.

But I do think Schreiber did a legitimate job of directing. Most actor/directors tend to focus too much on dialogue scenes for performances, but he seemed very comfortable telling a story with pictures.

[Sal]

my buddy's band Devotchka did the music at the end of the trailer.

your buddy is in devotchka? their album "how it ends" is excellent. more people should be checking them out

I didnt know people outside of Denver knew about Devotchka.

[cowboykurtis]

but he seemed very comfortable telling a story with pictures.

I think this had to do mostly with mathew libatique

[Ultrahip]

when is this being released outside of NY and LA, specifically, in Dallas? does anyone know?

[Sal]

I saw a screening tonight with friends and came away madly dissapointed.  This film is too self important and tries to weigh down the images with heavy drama...picture a house in the middle of a field of sunflowers and you're getting there.  No emotional arcs reached whatsoever.  It's quite funny in the beginning but the audience was pretty generous with the laughs tonight.  In reality the scenes didn't really carry such a funny bone.  Basically this is one of the more terrible films I've seen this year.