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Everything is Illuminated (2005)
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Not As Good As The Book
I absolutely loved this book. It was something very rare to find these days: a completely original experience in narration and style. It was funny, moving and interesting. The film adaptation, on the other hand, completely misses the mark.
Elijah Wood stars as Jonathan Safran Foer, a Jewish writer who visits the Ukraine in a quest to find out more about his grandfather's experience during WWII. Foer is a quiet and odd character and I was impressed with Wood's performance for the most part. You can see him trying to bring in his natural appeal but then fighting it back in many scenes, but his physicality as a small man worked for the character.
Eugene Hutz costars as Alex, Jonathan's translator and tour guide. Hutz is funny and odd as Alex, however this is not the Alex I met in the book. This Alex does not have the full circle experience and we do not see the fears and insecurities hidden underneath the large personality. This Alex is somewhat attractive and appealing, where in the book he only pretended to have those qualities. I can see why Hutz was cast, he is a charismatic young rock star, but he does not fit with what Alex was intended to be.
This film is actor Liev Schreiber's directorial debut and it is a lovely looking movie. He clearly designed the shots very well and he has a very cinematic eye. However, Schreiber also adapted the script and it is in this adaptation that so many of the films flaws comes from. In the book, we were constantly flashing back into the history of Jonathan's family to discover their stories alongside his journey. Schreiber chose to ignore those chapters and change one of the most important parts of the story to make it more 'approachable'. Alex's grandfather is a far less appealing man in the book and his redemption is a much harsher conclusion. Instead we get a neatly wrapped up ending that leaves us wanting more mystery. Without the stories of Jonathan's relatives we lose the weight of the story and instead it becomes a weird little road trip movie through the Ukraine.
Disappointing. I cannot recommend the film, but I highly recommend the book.
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 | Lisa
Jul 3, 2007 9:40 AM
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| I've come to the conclusion that when it come to film adaptations you have to watch the film before you read the book as films hardly ever do the book justice and tend to be a disappointment. |
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Jul 3, 2007 7:57 PM
Jul 4, 2007 11:27 AM