Jakob the Liar Review
by Jamey Hughton (bhughton AT sk DOT sympatico DOT ca)September 30th, 1999
JAKOB THE LIAR
*** (out of five stars)
A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Robin Williams, Alan Arkin, Bob Balaban,
Hannah Taylor-Gordon, Liev Schreiber and Armin Mueller-Stahl
Director-Peter Kassovitz
Rated PG
Sony
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The Holocaust. A caring soul trying to improve morale around him. And
certain comic undertones during a tragic time. All of these themes are
found in the Oscar-winning Foreign film Life is Beautiful, which put
gifted Italian clown Roberto Benigni in the American spotlight. Fresh
off the heels of Benigni’s triumph, another film rolls into theaters
with very similar messages - and a big-name star to guide it.
The title character in Jakob the Liar is Jakob Heym (Robin Williams), a
Polish Jew living in a desolate ghetto in 1944. One night, Jakob hears a
radio transmission that could bring his fellow ghetto-dwellers some
hope: Russians are only 400 kilometers away, and the war could soon come
to an end. Jakob tries to contain his secret, but soon it has leaked out
and gotten terribly blown out of proportion by the other Jewish
residents. He sees that this one little news bulletin has substantially
lifted the group’s spirit. And so, he begins to give them hope by
telling false stories about the approaching Russians. All of it is
basically hooey, but the suicide rate is down, and everyone seems to be
more optimistic about the future.
I might as well come out of the closet: I was that guy who liked Patch
Adams. Audiences sure did love the film, but it got some of the worst
critical reception of the year. With Jakob the Liar, moviegoers may be
turned off by the unappealing premise (not to mention the fact that the
subject has already been thoroughly explored). While full of mixed
messages and meaty flaws, this film does manage to balance itself quite
admirably - especially with all of the post-Life is Beautiful pressure.
The atmosphere, as envisioned by director Peter Kassovitz, is
successfully portrays the horror of the Holocaust in an effective and
subtle manner. It’s too bad that often during the 2nd act, he doesn’t
allow the audience room enough to appreciate all that.
Williams, in a well rounded and laid-back performance, manages to
contain his usual goofiness with style for virtually every minute of the
running time. The few moments in which he truly addresses his funny side
are shared with a 10-year old runaway Jewish girl named Lina (Hannah
Taylor-Gordon). Williams improvises a radio transmission with Winston
Churchill with restrained but hilarious success. The supporting cast,
full of veteran character actors, is easily one of the aspects to marvel
at in Jakob the Liar. Alan Arkin plays the pessimistic Frankfurter, Bob
Balaban is Jakob’s timid friend Kowalsky, and Armin Mueller-Stahl is the
wise Professor Kirschbaum. While all of the actors are perfect in their
roles, the surprise stand-out is Liev Schreiber (Scream 2), who plays
the feisty boxer Mischa with spot-on accuracy.
At first, Jakob the Liar moves at such a blistering pace that it becomes
exceedingly difficult to properly accept the surroundings. The gritty,
unattractive look of the Polish ghetto makes it a substantial problem
for any comedy to work. But Kassovitz knows this, and his period dramedy
is certainly filled with more dramatic moments. This is not a Holocaust
comedy with a light touch. If that was the goal in mind, the environment
for Jakob and his companions would be much less bleak & somber and far
more warm & fuzzy. The mood finally starts working in the film’s favor
toward the end, when the real issues are dealt with. During these
glorious moments, Kassovitz reaches a degree prosperity that rivals and
even surpasses a few of Benigni’s achievements in his film.
Unfortunately, much of Jakob the Liar is too messy and undefined to
match the success of Life is Beautiful. Still, this determined piece of
work is highly respectable. And Williams will return to family comedy
this Christmas when he stars in Bicentennial Man. Hopefully, that
familiar formula will set the talented comedian back on track, with
audiences and critics alike.
(C) 1999, Jamey Hughton
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