Search - Jakob the Liar

This remake of the 1975 German film Jakob der Lügner stars Robin Williams in a dramatic role as a man who uses his active imagination to bring a ray of hope where hope was all but unknown. Jakob Heym (Robin Williams) is the owner of a small café during the Nazi occupation of Poland; he has little money and is struggling to keep body and soul alive in the shadow of the Third Reich. One day, he overhears a radio broadcast, forbidden to Polish ears, that reports a major victory for Russian troops over the German army. Enthusiastic about this good news, Jakob begins spreading word of the Russian army's progress through the Polish ghetto. He notices that the story gives people hope and makes it easier for them to get through the day. So Jakob begins inventing stories and passing them along, creating fictional war reports that suggest that the occupation may soon be ending. However, when the occupation troops get wind of these stories, they become convinced that someone has communications equipment stashed away somewhere, and they're determined to find both the radio and its operator at all costs. Jakob the Liar was the first American feature for director Peter Kassovitz; the supporting cast includes Armin Mueller-Stahl, Alan Arkin, Bob Balaban, and Liev Schreiber. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Robin Williams - Jacob Heym
Alan Arkin - Frankfurter
Bob Balaban - Kowalski
Hannah Taylor-Gordon - Lina
Michael Jeter - Avron
Armin Mueller-Stahl - Dr. Kirschbaum
Liev Schreiber - Mischa
Mark Margolis - Fajngold

Comedian Robin Williams once again takes on a dramatic role in the Holocaust film Jakob the Liar. Columbia has done an excellent job on this 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer, making sure that it's as close to reference quality as one can get. All aspects of this transfer, including colors, black levels, and flesh tones, look very even and well rendered. Also included on this disc is a full frame 1.33:1 version of the film. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and sounds exceptional. The use of directional sounds is present during almost the entire film, and no hiss or distortion is present during the feature. Also included on this disc are English subtitles.
=Jakob the Liar includes a small but substantial array of extra features. Director Peter Kassovitz's commentary track is both touching and enlightening, giving the viewer some special insights into the making of the film. Also included on this disc is a Dolby Digital 5.1 isolated musical score track, as well as a short "making of" featurette. While =Jakob the Liar is not an overly packed disc, what consumers do get in the way of video, audio, and features should make for a nice viewing. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide

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