FILM: Everything is Illuminated

 Elijah Wood plays Jonathan, an odd American man who collects artefacts from his dead relatives. He wishes to look further into his Grandfather's past.
Eugene Hutz plays Alex, the son of a man who runs a service for people to discover histories of their ancestors in Ukraine - most of the people are, inevitably, Second World War Veterans.

Alex collects Jonathan from the station and brings him to a car driven by his mad Grandfather who has a mad Collie called Sammie Davis Jr. Jr.

A quiet and reserved Jew from modern America, a mad dog, a mad Grandfather, and a young Ukrainian man in one car, travelling around to try to find Jonathan's Ukrainian ancestry - it's hilarious.
It plays on the difference in cultures and the difficulties with language translation, while also bringing together a group of very clashing characters.

Here is a brilliant example of the typical kind of conversations they have throughout the film.

Despite its comical aspects, the film grows darker by the end as it delves into the dirty history of antisemitic Ukraine, and the somewhat ambiguous but dark history of Alex's Grandfather.

It's funny, it's beautiful, it's hard-hitting...it's a fascinating film.

(My partner discovered it because Eugene Hutz is in the brilliant Gypsy Punk band, Gogol Bordello - check them out!)