Robin
Williams returns in another dramatic role as Jakob the Liar--a holocaust drama
that borrows heavily from Schindler's List, Life is Beautiful, and Braveheart.
This
film is based on a 1969 novel about a man who finds himself a provider of hope
shortly before the liquidation of a small Jewish community.
To
Williams credit, he does keep his customary over-the-top antics under control,
in what looked to be a springboard for his Good Morning Vietnam schtick. Thankfully,
this film is quieter than that and given the subject matter, that's a good thing.
The problem with this film is that coming off the heels of the whimsical Life
is Beautiful, it just isn't effective.
Although
its heart is in the right place, Jakob the Liar seems like processed melodrama,
despite strong performances from Williams, Alan Arkin, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and
Bob Balaban. I could tell you this is a brilliant film, but then I'd be Adam the
Liar.
