Don't listen to the negative reviews

Absolutely the worst movie.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

From thequickflickcritic.blogspot.com/ What begins as a decidedly droll road trip flick becomes anything but as this mesmerizing story of family legacy unfolds in "Everything is Illuminated".Elijah Wood stars as a socially awkward young Jewish American on a quest to find the woman who rescued his late grandfather from a village massacre during the Nazi invasion of Russia in World War II. Eugene Hutz is Alex, a strutting Hip-Hop disciple who is hired, along with his irascible granddad (Boris Leskin), by Wood's character, Jonathan (or as Alex puts it, "Jon-fen"), to serve as "expert" guides for the journey.Wood and Hutz are each more than credible and convincing in their respective and divergent roles. However, it is Leskin and Laryssa Lauret's Lista, the coveted savior Jonathan eventually meets, who really stand out here. Their poignant portrayals of two people who have experienced the most diabolical atrocities of man from a deeply intimate perceptive are extraordinarily moving and enduring. The mostly silent yet sensitive bond of knowing a lifelong struggle against internal suffering that fuses these two battered souls together generates a profound "illumination" for Jonathan and Alex both.Intriguingly, "Everything is Illuminated" marks the only theatrical release renowned actor Liev Schreiber has ever directed. He also wrote the screenplay, basing it in on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, whose book parallels the author's own personal experience. This is a monumentally ambitious work of filmmaking by Schreiber, whose creative vision is superlatively served by the stunning cinematography of Matthew Libatique. Libatique's sweeping capturing of the vast Ukrainian countryside and the variety of settings this trio of travelers inhabit along their route are as magical as they are breathtaking.While it is particularly puzzling that Schreiber has not been at the helm of more movies, it is with great hope that he find the occasion to do so again.And soon.For more of my Movie Reviews categorized by Genre please visit: thequickflickcritic.blogspot.com/

My friend recommended me to watch this movie. And it was a complete disappointment for me. I am half Jew and half Ukrainian, so I can judge it from both points of view. First, it is not a comedy at all, since it is not funny. Second, the movie is full of oxymoron and ridiculous things. For example, the constant usage of word 'jid', which is a swearword in Russian, in general. But most of all... Trabant!!! It is not a popular car in the former Soviet Union, it is even not rare, it is simply nonexistent. During my childhood in the USSR I even have not heard about such a car! It may be used as a symbol of GDR, but certainly not of the USSR or Ukraine. The most interesting thing is that the director and the most actors are Russians/Ukrainians (maybe former). So they probably should have noted all these inconsistencies. And third, the Elijah Wood's play is simply weak and not convincing.

Everything Is Illuminated is the most heartbreakingly beautiful and endearing film I have experienced in my 63 years of life. The performances and direction are truly exceptional. The devotion to remembrance, the love and esteem of family, and the perdurable effects of horrific inhumanity, emotional loss, and war, are drawn in a way that is sure, clear, and often subtle. I wonder if I am magnifying the worth of Schrieber's film. But, truly, I cannot in words do over justice to the emotional impact his film has had on me. I've seen the sections of Everything is Illuminated that were not included in the theatrical release. The decision to edit out the fantasy theater scene was crucial. Had that scene been gone forward, I don't believe Everything Is Illuminated would have achieved the level of haunting beauty that it possesses. He has smartly crafted a film that is classic. He has crafted in his direction and writing, a work of cinematic art.

I'll do my best to review this as a work of its own rather than to the source material. It always irritates me when a decent movie is repeatedly bashed for straying from the book/comic/what-have-you it was inspired by.As a film in its own right, Everything is Illuminated is slightly above average. The cinematography is passable. The seldom beautiful shot caught my attention.The music conveys emotion and the theme of the film splendidly. It suits all moments accurately and was enough to move me during the climax. All the acting is top-notch. Elijah Wood captures the character of Jonathan. But every powerful moment feels a little watered down and robbed of its true potential. This is attributed to the absence of most of the backstory. The context of our characters journey is lightly hinted at throughout, but the viewers never fully connect to the reasons for our character's actions. Everything is Illuminated, the movie, is only about an hour and a half long. Average for modern day films, but it would be twice as long if it had included segments told by Jonathan about his family's history. I would have preferred that. The most tearjerking parts of the book take place in these segments that were woefully excluded from the film.For what it is, Everything is Illuminated is adequate. Sadly it doesn't exceed in any one area to make it stand out. For that i give it a 6 out of 10