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Everything Is Illuminated [2005]


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*****Warning read before watching/purchasing*****
Review date: 2008-09-11 Rating: 4 out of 10

First and foremost you MUST like films with lots of subtitles in them, at least 75% of the dialogue is in Ukrainian so unless you speak the language then you 'll have to rely on subtitles for the vast majority of the film.

Elijah Wood puts in a good solid performance aided by Eugene Hutz who's also good, there's some good humour here too, after watching the trailer I was hoping for a film that would help to escape reality for 100 minutes or so, maybe something like I heart Huckabees, sadly this did not reach those heights for me.

As a film itself I'd give it 3 stars, but as I loath subtitled films (some are fine, but this is just too much for me) this means I have to downgrade my mark.

The DVD fails to indicate anything other than this being a fully English film, in the language section it only mentions English as the spoken language, the trailer also fails to contain any sign/s of this being anything other than a purely English speaking film too, based on this I'd say Liev Schreiber would be better off staying on the other side of the camera as opposed to directing.

I've never read the book that this film is based on so I can not make any comparison there.

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Reviews


An unexpected triumph
Review date: 2008-09-04 Rating: 8 out of 10

When reading the basic storyline and seeing the trailer I wasn't too bothered about the film as it was just a story about a young Jewish American finding out about his ancestors. But being a huge Elijah Wood fan I watched it recently and was blown away. It was a beautiful and unique film; funny at times and moving at times. It just wasn't what I expected at all! None of it was boring and even the driving scenes managed to be captivating. Although Wood plays a simple character that doesn't say much, he manages to still be unusual and interesting. I enjoyed the performance of 'Alex' played by Eugene Hutz, singer with gypsy folk band Gogol Bordello who also make a cameo alongside him in the film. The film is quirky, offbeat and unusual at first but then suddenly gets serious and emotional as it touches about World War II and Nazism's control over the Jews. There's great Eastern European folk music throughout that give it the feel of being somewhere less glamorous than American but still has a more home and family orientated way of life. The film's quirky nature gives the film some subtle comedic moments such as the vegetarian incident. Also, it has some very sad and brutal moments nearer the end of the film. However, if you want something easy, fresh and pleasant to watch that will make you think more about life and appreciate it more then you should definitely see this film.

Watch and be enchanted
Review date: 2007-11-11 Rating: 10 out of 10

Had this movie on my shelf for several months before I even read the blurb on the back. Early one sunday morning I decided to watch it - I was stuneed by the simplicity, narrative and the incredibly moving story it portrays. Wood is perfect as the obsessive Jew looking for his past and the likeable Alex is as his translator is so well cast.
Did a quick search on Trachimorod, the place they search for - may not be real but I'm sure they are many other villages where such things took place.
An excellent story that deserves to be watched.

There's hope for Elijah Wood
Review date: 2007-04-04 Rating: 10 out of 10

... who seems to have been inadvertently typecast as Frodo. Films like this show you that he can do other roles well. (See also "Sin City.")

It has been said that we laugh because it hurts, and this film provokes such laughter in spades, from Alex's peculiar English and the casual brutality of his everyday family life to Jonathan's hugely magnifying spectacles and his eccentric collecting. When the grandfather's tragic secret is revealed towards the end -- it is by no means spelled out and still leaves you wondering what exactly happened -- a lot of things come to a head: the grandfather's life ends quite dramatically, both Jonathan and Alex discover their common roots, and many things that were previously just odd begin to make sense and become significant.

"Everything is Illuminated" -- weird, beautiful, sad, funny -- remind us about life and people and how strange and wonderful we all are.

funny, thoughtfull and moving
Review date: 2007-01-14 Rating: 6 out of 10

There are a lot of people who claim that in order to fully appreciate a literary adaptation, you have to have read the source material before you see the film on which it is based. I don't ascribe to this theory and if you want a good reason why, look no further than the hideous treatment of Saruman in the cinema release of the Return of the King, and he did not fare much better in the fan boy pleasing extended edition, if I had never read the book, this would not have rankled so much.
Never having read the book on which Liev Schriebers directorial debut is based, I came to this film with no preconceptions at all, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised as a result. Taking the story of one mans search for his roots as its basis, this is a movie that is both funny and moving as it deals with the much covered subject of roots and genocide in a decidedly new fashion. Elijah Wood plays the central character of Jonathan Safran Foer, a young man who is compulsively driven to collect mementos about his Jewish family, so that he never forgets them. When his grandfather dies, Jonathan finds a photograph of his grandfather as a young man in the company of a mystery woman, the woman who apparently saved his grandfathers life during World War 2. So Jonathan, in search of the truth, sets of for his grandfather's homeland of the Ukraine. Here he meets his guide for the journey, a Western obsessed culture vulture named Alex (played with hilarious conviction by Eugene Hutz), and his driver, Alex's grandfather, who has his own reasons for wanting to help Jonathan.
Initially coming across as just another culture clash comedy, albeit a very funny one, the film manages to be something more than what it initially appears to be, cramming in such as subplots as anti-Semitism, understanding and forgiveness around its broad central theme. As the mismatched trio move closer to their final destination (which comes as a surprise when it is finally revealed), accompanied by Alex's grandfathers dog, the strangely named Sammy Davis Junior Junior, they begin to understand each other and appreciate each other as well, particularly Alex and Jonathan, who strike up a strange friendship. The three leads are very good, with Elijah Wood playing Jonathan as a nervous man who is afraid of what life will throw at him next and Boris Leskin as the cursing moody grandfather who has a secret that he can no longer hide. But it is Eugene Hutz as Alex who is the real star of the film. As Jonathans English mangling guide, he portrays Alex as a man who is almost the polar opposite of Jonathan, happy to take what life throws at him and tackle it head on.
This is an assured and enjoyable directorial debut from Schrieber, who although he occasionally allows the film to loose its focus, particularly in the central section, has crafted an enjoyable and highly watchable movie with an ear for the earthy and an eye for the absurd.


Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Laryssa Lauret
Boris Leskin
Elijah Wood
Zuzana Hodkova
Eugene Hutz

Creators:
Elijah Wood (Primary Contributor)
Eugene Hutz (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
EAN: 7321900593434
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2006-03-27
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 101 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2005
Language: English (Original Language)

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