Review of Everything Is Illuminated (2005) by Brandon H — 21 Jun 2008

I really feel like I'm forgetting a movie here.

Anyway, Everything is Illuminated was fine. Nothing great. It was an interesting look into how the past can shape things, and it felt like an important realization for Elijah's character-- like he had to justify, to himself, why the past is important. It was questioned constantly by the people he was around, but it turns out he perserveres. As a message, this movie works well. It's just that the movie's flair and tone become overbearing at times, with the overly stark cinematography, the strangely cutesy music, and the over emphasized timing of dialogue. But the acting is good, there are some genuinely funny lines, and for the most part it's well written. The direction from the very good actor Liev was just a bit overbearing, for my taste.

Upcoming: Hulk, The Deer Hunter, Brazil, Get Smart, Wall-e, The Bourne Ultimatum, In Bruges, Persepolis.