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!)

FILM: What About Bob

After all of the serious films I've been watching, this one was a bit of a relief.
What About Bob is about a man with almost every mental disability there is (he's scared of everything) who gets terribly attached to his new psychiatrist, Dr Leo Marvin.
Bob is a lovely man, though clearly mad. He follows Leo Marvin who is on a family holiday in Martha's Vineyard. Leo's family befriend Bob against Leo's wishes, and Bob ends up spending a lot more time with Leo's family than intended and hilarity ensues - right?

Well, some of it is funny. Bob does manage to create some bizarre moments because of his strange collection of mental ailments.
Leo gets more and more stressed and angry due to Bob who - it seems - it actually doing a lot of good for the rest of the family. Leo ends up being more mad than Bob.
Bill Murray's character is funny and lovable and, in that sense, it's a sweet film about a misunderstood man. However, Dr Leo Marvin is, at first, a realistic representation of a typical working father - he wants his kids to grow up his way, and wants to lead his life his way. He's very stuck in his ways and surprisingly unkind for a psychiatrist...his character nearing the end of the film got a bit tiring. He just gets more stressed and more angry.
So I suppose it's a film about the negative businessman reading a book by its cover. A good enough message, I suppose.
This message is definitely better than the comedy - I chuckled a bit.

FILM: Le Visiteur

So you thought The Princess Bride was silly?
This is of the same ilk but sillier. 
A 12th century knight get accidentally sent to the end of the 20th Century by a wizard (who looks suspiciously like Merlin). 
Hilarity and chaos ensues. Our knight, Godefroy, finds the descendent of the woman he was supposed to marry, who is convinced he is her estranged cousin (they look so alike) who has gone mad and thinks he's a 12th century knight.
The descendent of the servant, Jacquouille, is rich and owns a large hotel and the two families still work closely together.
Jacquouille befriends a woman who lives on the streets.
While trying to convince everyone of their true identity, Godefrey and Jacquouille must find the descendent of the wizard to give them the right potion and send them back in time. 

The film is done brilliantly. It is a hilarious, light-hearted fun watch. 
Jean Reno, the wonderful french actor (who is known for much more serious roles!) is fabulous, somehow managing to keep a straight face. 
If you like Monty Python and The Princess Bride, I guarantee you'll like this film! Don't be put off by the fact that it's in French. If you're put off by subtitles, you're going to miss some of cinema's greatest films.