A perfect hybrid of an intense drama surrounded by offbeat humor is the 2005 film “Everything is Illuminated.” Based on the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, “Everything is Illuminated” marks the directorial debut of Liev Schreiber (known for starring in epic films like “Scream” and “The Manchurian Candidate”).
“Everything is Illuminated” is the story of Jonathan Foer, a quirky Jewish-American man, (Elijah Wood). On his grandmother’s death bed, she hands him a photo of his late grandfather as a young man posing with a mysterious woman named Augustine. Augustine saved Foer’s grandfather during World War II by hiding and subsequently shipping him off to the safety of America, thus allowing him to go on and create the entire Foer family.
Armed only with the photograph and a crude map, Jonathan heads to Ukraine to locate the missing village of Trachimbrod, which was literally wiped off the face of the map by the Nazis. Jonathan is aided in his quest by a “blind” Ukrainian tour guide (Boris Leskin) and his American-culture-obsessed grandson Alex (Eugene Hutz).
Everything is Illuminated perfects the blending of characters; from the ornery obsessive compulsive collector Jonathan with his coke bottle glasses and beady eyes, with the wacky and highly comical Ukrainian counterpart Alex (who loves American hip hop and fashion much to the chagrin of his conservative parents who are thoroughly embarrassed by his antics as a break dancer) and the good natured though seemingly anti-Semitic tour guide. Elijah Wood has excelled in previous roles (“Deep Impact,” “Sin City”) and is crafting himself as a superb actor (save for that Hobbit foolishness), and carried the role of the quirky Jonathan perfectly and Eugene Hutz will have you in stitches. Worth checking out for its offbeat comedy and serious plot.
– by Matt Christopher
