Review of Jakob the Liar (1999) by Filipeneto — 30 Aug 2018

In the midst of World War II, the Germans confined the Jews to isolated neighborhoods called ghettos, isolated from the surrounding world and without news of what was happening. This, coupled with the ill-treatment, hunger and prospect of massacre at the hands of the Germans, led many Jews to commit suicide. Jakob is just another Jew who, after being picked up on the street after the obligatory curfew, is arrested. In the German barracks, he hears a radio news that tells his friends when he is finally released. But they do not believe it and think he owns a radio at home, a crime that can give immediate death sentence if the Germans catch him. But Jakob's secret (who starts inventing fake news as he sees the positive effect this brings on the mood of his friends) is just an orphan, whom he hides and helps in his attic.

This film is a slight drama past in historical setting. The script has good premises, but it is a bit annoying and I felt that it was stretched until almost broke, not having a proper story to justify the length of the film. Another problem was the whole movie: if the film was more intense and dramatic, it would have been more well received, but it was a narrow path between drama and comedy, with hilarious scenes contrasting with more dramatic ones. This path proved as fatal and dangerous as sailing between Cila and Caríbdis, as if the film did not know what it wanted to be. I also felt that the film made no effort to capture and capture my interest, and that this made the film too warm and stationary. The end is greatly improved, with the dramatic intensity reinforcing itself and leaving aside any comic ambition.

Robin Williams is the protagonist and, contrary to the usual image of the actor, does not give us a comic and histrionic performance, but something more restrained, more serious and strong. The actor does not make a bad performance but seems a little dislocated in a movie that wants to be dramatic. The mere participation of this actor reinforces the comical penchant of the film and sharpens the problem I mentioned, about the film being neither comic nor dramatic. The remaining cast is quite well and there are some actors well known to the general public.