I heard a lot of critics complain about this movie. I absolutely liked this film. However, it had 2 major failings:
1) It was a remake of a East German classic that was award-worthy, and had a high standard to the art film critics.
2) A Beautiful Life (La vita E Bella) had won best picture accolades 1 year earlier, and the stories have many similarities.
Neither of these are the fault of the movie. They were just 2 insurmountable odds it had to fight. For that reason, the movie failed miserably.
However, it really is a good movie. I can't speak for the original version, but I can say that while this movie was good, it's just not great.
Robin Williams does a great job as the reluctant "hero" and the supporting cast was solid. When Robin is controlled in his performance, he can really shine and this definitely shows you what is to come from him in the near future for dramatic roles. There is still some humor, but it's directed and not totally off the wall.
If you are interested in this era of history, I would recommend this movie.
1) It was a remake of a East German classic that was award-worthy, and had a high standard to the art film critics.
2) A Beautiful Life (La vita E Bella) had won best picture accolades 1 year earlier, and the stories have many similarities.
Neither of these are the fault of the movie. They were just 2 insurmountable odds it had to fight. For that reason, the movie failed miserably.
However, it really is a good movie. I can't speak for the original version, but I can say that while this movie was good, it's just not great.
Robin Williams does a great job as the reluctant "hero" and the supporting cast was solid. When Robin is controlled in his performance, he can really shine and this definitely shows you what is to come from him in the near future for dramatic roles. There is still some humor, but it's directed and not totally off the wall.
If you are interested in this era of history, I would recommend this movie.