A good film--no lie
"Jakob the Liar"
Overall Rating: ***½
If I were to try to combine two movies' ideas into a new movie, two of the least likely choices would be "Life is Beautiful" and "Good Morning, Vietnam." That, however, seems to be what the makers of "Jakob the Liar" were striving for--with mixed results.
Jakob Heym (Robin Williams) is a resident of the Warsaw Ghetto in 1944. While waiting to see a Nazi officer about a curfew violation, he happens to learn--from a radio broadcast and a map on the wall--that the Russians are just 400 kilometers (250 miles) away. When the officer lets him go, however, he's hardly off the hook--since he can't get back to the ghetto before curfew. Forced to sneak in through a railroad yard, he encounters Lina (Hannah Taylor-Gordon)--a young girl who has escaped from a train bound for a concentration camp. As if hiding and caring for Lina weren't enough to turn his life upside-down, when he tells the news to his friend Mischa (Liev Schreiber), word gets around. Suddenly, Jakob--who people believe has a radio--becomes a hero to the ghetto residents.
Robin Williams is wonderful. Williams is without a doubt one of Hollywood's greats--with such films as "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Dead Poets Society," "Good Will Hunting," and "Patch Adams" to his credit. Williams' portrayal of Jakob Heym is very funny in places, very touching in others, and very effective all around.
The supporting cast is also generally good. Two highlights are Liev Schreiber and Armin Mueller-Stahl. Schreiber is very good as Mischa, a somewhat dimwitted but amiable ex-prizefighter. Mueller-Stahl is also excellent as Professor Kirschbaum--a noted cardiologist forced into factory work who provides moral support to Jakob, and manages his own heroic moments. (Interestingly, according to the Internet Movie Database, Mueller-Stahl was in the 1974 German version of this movie.)
The story is also endearing. Heym's unexpected and unwanted status as hero make a likeable character even more sympathetic. The filmmakers successfully made the ghetto residents appealing--mainly with dark humor, exemplified with such exchanges as "The Russians are bombing us!"/"This is the good news?" You care about these people.
Unfortunately, "Jakob the Liar" begs for comparison with "Life is Beautiful." It isn't fair to say that "Jakob the Liar" is imitating "Life is Beautiful." Whether it actually is is debatable, since it could just as easily be the other way around: "Jakob the Liar" is based on a book that was written before either movie was made, and there was an earlier film version. The similarities between the current "Jakob the Liar" and "Life is Beautiful" (a jocular Jew hides and cares for a child while surviving under the horrendous conditions the Nazis inflict) constantly remind those who have seen both that "Life is Beautiful" is a better film all around.
The story of "Jakob the Liar" isn't as tightly woven as it might be, either. For instance, Lina's character seems to be an afterthought, seldom interacting with other characters and apparently also believing in the non-existent radio, though she lives with Heym and would seem to be more likely to know it wasn't real. Another frustrating element was the way the ending is handled: there's one sequence that clearly happens, then another sequence of events, and finally a sequence clearly imagined by one of the characters. The middle sequence explains what happens to most of the characters, only it's not completely clear whether Jakob is imagining it or whether it's what happened to them.
"Jakob the Liar" is certainly suitable for teens, but probably isn't a good choice for younger children. The only real concern is the violence--there are on-screen murders, a graphic torturing sequence, and a number of on-screen suicides. The overall effect is very intense, and parents may want to use caution with younger kids.
I hate to say it, but "Jakob the Liar" was a little disappointing to me, partly because Robin Williams--while extremely good here--has done even better work in the past, and partly because there are so many similarities to "Life is Beautiful"--a much better film. The description of "disappointment" may be true, but it isn't really fair, since "Jakob the Liar" was actually a good film.
Title:"Jakob the Liar"
Release date: September 24, 1999
Overall Rating: ***½
If I were to try to combine two movies' ideas into a new movie, two of the least likely choices would be "Life is Beautiful" and "Good Morning, Vietnam." That, however, seems to be what the makers of "Jakob the Liar" were striving for--with mixed results.
Jakob Heym (Robin Williams) is a resident of the Warsaw Ghetto in 1944. While waiting to see a Nazi officer about a curfew violation, he happens to learn--from a radio broadcast and a map on the wall--that the Russians are just 400 kilometers (250 miles) away. When the officer lets him go, however, he's hardly off the hook--since he can't get back to the ghetto before curfew. Forced to sneak in through a railroad yard, he encounters Lina (Hannah Taylor-Gordon)--a young girl who has escaped from a train bound for a concentration camp. As if hiding and caring for Lina weren't enough to turn his life upside-down, when he tells the news to his friend Mischa (Liev Schreiber), word gets around. Suddenly, Jakob--who people believe has a radio--becomes a hero to the ghetto residents.
Robin Williams is wonderful. Williams is without a doubt one of Hollywood's greats--with such films as "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Dead Poets Society," "Good Will Hunting," and "Patch Adams" to his credit. Williams' portrayal of Jakob Heym is very funny in places, very touching in others, and very effective all around.
The supporting cast is also generally good. Two highlights are Liev Schreiber and Armin Mueller-Stahl. Schreiber is very good as Mischa, a somewhat dimwitted but amiable ex-prizefighter. Mueller-Stahl is also excellent as Professor Kirschbaum--a noted cardiologist forced into factory work who provides moral support to Jakob, and manages his own heroic moments. (Interestingly, according to the Internet Movie Database, Mueller-Stahl was in the 1974 German version of this movie.)
The story is also endearing. Heym's unexpected and unwanted status as hero make a likeable character even more sympathetic. The filmmakers successfully made the ghetto residents appealing--mainly with dark humor, exemplified with such exchanges as "The Russians are bombing us!"/"This is the good news?" You care about these people.
Unfortunately, "Jakob the Liar" begs for comparison with "Life is Beautiful." It isn't fair to say that "Jakob the Liar" is imitating "Life is Beautiful." Whether it actually is is debatable, since it could just as easily be the other way around: "Jakob the Liar" is based on a book that was written before either movie was made, and there was an earlier film version. The similarities between the current "Jakob the Liar" and "Life is Beautiful" (a jocular Jew hides and cares for a child while surviving under the horrendous conditions the Nazis inflict) constantly remind those who have seen both that "Life is Beautiful" is a better film all around.
The story of "Jakob the Liar" isn't as tightly woven as it might be, either. For instance, Lina's character seems to be an afterthought, seldom interacting with other characters and apparently also believing in the non-existent radio, though she lives with Heym and would seem to be more likely to know it wasn't real. Another frustrating element was the way the ending is handled: there's one sequence that clearly happens, then another sequence of events, and finally a sequence clearly imagined by one of the characters. The middle sequence explains what happens to most of the characters, only it's not completely clear whether Jakob is imagining it or whether it's what happened to them.
"Jakob the Liar" is certainly suitable for teens, but probably isn't a good choice for younger children. The only real concern is the violence--there are on-screen murders, a graphic torturing sequence, and a number of on-screen suicides. The overall effect is very intense, and parents may want to use caution with younger kids.
I hate to say it, but "Jakob the Liar" was a little disappointing to me, partly because Robin Williams--while extremely good here--has done even better work in the past, and partly because there are so many similarities to "Life is Beautiful"--a much better film. The description of "disappointment" may be true, but it isn't really fair, since "Jakob the Liar" was actually a good film.
Title:"Jakob the Liar"
Release date: September 24, 1999
MPAA rating: PG-13
Overall rating: ***½
Overall rating: ***½
Aprox. run time: 120 min.
Director: Peter Kassovitz
Writers: Peter Kassovitz, Didier Decoin, Jurek Becker (novel)
Stars: Robin Williams, Hannah Taylor-Gordon, Liev Schreiber
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/JakobLie.htm
Added to blog site: 7/28/09
Director: Peter Kassovitz
Writers: Peter Kassovitz, Didier Decoin, Jurek Becker (novel)
Stars: Robin Williams, Hannah Taylor-Gordon, Liev Schreiber
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/JakobLie.htm
Added to blog site: 7/28/09
Labels: Movie review, ReviewsbyJohn
posted by John at 9/28/1999 03:01:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home