"Everything is Illuminated"

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"Everything is Illuminated"

Posted: 10/5/05 at 10:40pm

I just got home from this - and wow - what a big, hot, mess of a movie!

I haven't read the book, but I've been told that it's fantastic. There are some good ideas the film (directed by recent Tony winner Liev Schreiber,) tossed around, but it is so incomprehensible and so amateur in execution that it makes me sad at how good this movie could have been.

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

Updated On: 10/5/05 at 10:40 PM

re: 'Everything is Illuminated'

Posted: 10/5/05 at 10:45pm

It looks like a film with mood swings. Did Elijah's glasses work for you or did you find them intrusive?

re: 'Everything is Illuminated'

Posted: 10/5/05 at 10:47pm

They irritated the hell out of me. Very little in this film worked...the glasses were the least of the problems. That really sucks, because when I first saw the trailer I thought "Wow, I think I'm going to love this!" WRONG.

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

re: 'Everything is Illuminated'

Posted: 10/5/05 at 10:55pm

I also found the trailer more than satisfying. That Ebert and Roeper gave it a marginal thumbs up didn't turn me off (Ebert disliked Howl's Moving Castle, which is my favorite film of 2005 thus far, and he loved an awful lot of films that I dislike). Your review, however, corroborates a lot of the negative feedback I've heard from moviegoers on other forums.

Oh well. Another film to accidentally catch on TV.

Updated On: 10/5/05 at 10:55 PM

re: 'Everything is Illuminated'

Posted: 10/5/05 at 11:00pm

Normally, I would say go see it anyway, but it's not even worth it. It's a trainwreck.

Has anyone else seen this?

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

re: 'Everything is Illuminated'

Posted: 10/5/05 at 11:04pm

I wanted to, being a fan of Liev and curious to see what he'd do w/ his directorial debut...guess I'll wait to rent it.

But when did New Hampshire become--Such a backward wasteland of seatbelt hating crazies?...I mean, only 40 people actually live there. The others are just visitors who come for the tax-free liquor and three inches of novelty coastline. John Hodgeman on The Daily Show (1-30-07)

re: 'Everything is Illuminated'

Posted: 10/5/05 at 11:09pm

Now that I think about it, the only semi-intriguing part of this movie is the score.

"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson

re: 'Everything is Illuminated'

Posted: 10/6/05 at 12:32am

I saw it. Didn't like it either.

The book was far more entertaining and I highly recommend that you read it. And...what's semi-strange is that Elijah is portraying him to be this awkward young adult...and I didn't see that at all in the book. (shrugs) (He doesn't collect things in the book.)

I liked a few scenes in the film...and I liked them for the set and scenery. It was so much better when they weren't talking.

re: 'Everything is Illuminated'

Posted: 10/6/05 at 12:36am

I hate when well-written novel characters are quirked up for a film.

That's my problem with Elizabeth McGovern's performance in Ragtime. She just didn't seem real.

Did the book even have Elijah's character wearing a suit?

#10

re: 'Everything is Illuminated'

Posted: 10/6/05 at 6:29am

Loved the book, hated the movie.

#11

re: 'Everything is Illuminated'

Posted: 10/6/05 at 8:45am

Evelyn, I don't remember a suit being mentioned in the book, and from what I could discern of Jonathan's personality, he wouldn't be the type to dress like a 1950s businessman when going to Ukraine in the friggin' 21st century. The collector thing came out of nowhere, too. But I guess the latter was an attempt to give Jonathan some motivation without the benefit of the Trachimbrod story.

I'm really sorry to hear this movie didn't really have it together, because the book, while flawed, is a hilarious and fascinating read.

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