Everything is Illuminated

Genre: Drama
Rank: 7 of 10

This is story about a collector. Elijah Wood (AKA Frodo Baggins) plays a young man of Jewish descent who is prompted to go on a journey after his grandmother’s death. The last thing his grandmother does is give him an old photograph of his grandfather with another woman. He proceeds to travel to the Ukraine to search for the place the photo was taken. His guides in Ukraine are a grandfather/grandson team who make some very important discoveries of their own along the journey.

This story is a bit slow to develop but ends up having some very poignant and heart-wrenching moments. Be prepared for some confusion and some loose ends, but also some funny and quirky pieces that make this a memorable movie. It is filmed in an unusual style to be sure. It does not follow the typical Hollywood formula, in fact, if you like Hollywood style movies then you may not like this one. I personally loved the ‘remembrance’ segments portrayed in the movie, as well as the soundtrack and the Eastern European accents. Those who are of Jewish descent and have ancestors in Eastern Europe will find it especially moving.

One huge caution: DO NOT watch the deleted scenes! They are like a deranged acid trip mix of Borat and Willy Wonka… the editor did the right thing by deleting them, so don’t bother.