I was actually quite surprised that I enjoyed this movie as much as I did. The best film about the Holocaust by far was "Schindler's List", and I don't think that any film will be able to top that one. While this one doesn't come close (and it doesn't try), it is still an entertaining movie.
Jakob Heym (Robin Williams) is a man living in one of the many Jewish ghettos of the time. While outside the ghetto, he hears a newscast on the radio which tells him the Russians are about 400 kilometers away from his home there. This starts a chain of events which lead the occupants of the ghetto to believe he has a radio hidden in his apartment, something which the Gestapo certainly frown upon. This allows Jakob to bring hope to the inhabitants of such a dreary place.
Despite the darkness of the events that this storyline revolves around, this movie still contains some humor. Of course, with Robin Williams in it, we shouldn't expect any less. As Jakob says, "that was how we got by". Williams is above average in this film, but that's not to say that this is his best work to date. He is supported by an excellent cast, who are good in their roles, especially young Hannah Taylor-Gordon in the role of Lina.
What brought this film down a couple of notches for me was the ending, which you will see when you watch it. It just didn't fit for me, I thought it might have been done a bit differently, with better results. The subject matter doesn't particularly dictate a happy-go-lucky ending to this film in any event. It isn't a happy ending, but... oh, never mind. I'll leave it up to you to watch it and make your own conclusions.
My Rating: 7/10
Jakob Heym (Robin Williams) is a man living in one of the many Jewish ghettos of the time. While outside the ghetto, he hears a newscast on the radio which tells him the Russians are about 400 kilometers away from his home there. This starts a chain of events which lead the occupants of the ghetto to believe he has a radio hidden in his apartment, something which the Gestapo certainly frown upon. This allows Jakob to bring hope to the inhabitants of such a dreary place.
Despite the darkness of the events that this storyline revolves around, this movie still contains some humor. Of course, with Robin Williams in it, we shouldn't expect any less. As Jakob says, "that was how we got by". Williams is above average in this film, but that's not to say that this is his best work to date. He is supported by an excellent cast, who are good in their roles, especially young Hannah Taylor-Gordon in the role of Lina.
What brought this film down a couple of notches for me was the ending, which you will see when you watch it. It just didn't fit for me, I thought it might have been done a bit differently, with better results. The subject matter doesn't particularly dictate a happy-go-lucky ending to this film in any event. It isn't a happy ending, but... oh, never mind. I'll leave it up to you to watch it and make your own conclusions.
My Rating: 7/10