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January 28, 2011

Everything Is Illuminated ****

I'm not sure where I heard about Everything Is Illuminated, but it was in my Netflix instant queue and The Woman and I watched it tonight after a nice dinner of broiled salmon and sauteed Brussels sprouts. Very interesting, amusing, and moving. Staring Elijah Wood as a current-day Jew on a trip to the Ukraine to find the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Screenplay/directing by Liev Schreiber based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. According to imdb.com, it's the only thing Schreiber has written/directed so far, but very impressive, period, and astounding for a first effort. Visually stylistic and stunning in places. Deft, light touch in story telling and gradual revelation.

8 comments:

Alyssa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Alyssa said...

Great review, Brad. It is an amazing film. At the time it came out, there was some flack about Liev focusing on only one aspect of the novel, which has a few storylines going.

Of course, this is always the problem with only having 2 hours to glean from a novel that describes so much more.

If you're interested, there's a FASCINATING documentary called Operation Filmmaker which shows us how the film got made but with a very unique twist.

It's a compelling, behind the scenes look at Liev and Mark Turtletaub (Producer) trying to be philanthropic and having it totally backfire.

I talk about both films and more on my Blog. Hope you'll check us out and thanks again for the enthusiastic review.

Alyssa
http://www.lievschreiberconnection.com/

Brad Whittington said...

Wow, that was quick. Google Alerts must be working overtime for you.

And that's some blog. It's the All Liev All The Time channel!

From what I can see, he's definitely talented. I hope he does some more adaptations.

~k said...

do you have Dear Zachary in your queue? It is available instantly...

Brad Whittington said...

Don't have Dear Zachary in my queue. Not sure that it's the type of movie I would normally watch.

~k said...

not movie, documentary. Synopsis doesn't do it justice. It is good to try things outside our norm every once-tin-awhile...live dangerously.

Brad Whittington said...

Actually, a documentary is a movie. But it's not a narrative feature film.

I don't have to read a Regency romance to know I'm not going to like it. I'll let The Woman decide.

~k said...

ummm- I think that's what I meant? But thank you for that tasty morsel of fact!

I do not know this Regency romance you speak of ? Twas always the evils of one Harlequin (?) romance that we were cautioned from the pulpit to flee-

Dear Zachary isn't a romance-it is a 'letter to a son' (about his dad, & life & such)

My brother with good taste in all things music & media pointed me to it- I wouldn't have noticed/chosen it left to my own devices-

Letting The Woman decide is always, always the right answer. Always. :)

here's a link:http://www.dearzachary.com/

(I'm not getting a commission here- to each his own)