i be completely stun at how well robin williams pull off more serious dramatic role and since he much more well know for high energy comedy . but his role a the bad guy in movie like insomnia or and even good and one hour photo display the extent of his act ability and since he be able to pull off such different character so well . in jakob the liar and his comedic talent be restrict just enough so that he be able to function properly within the atmosphere of the movie and but be still allow a scene or two in which his ability to get laugh can come out . he play jakob and a jewish shopkeeper in a nazi ghetto who tell a friend that he have a radio in order to prevent that friend from commit suicide . thing do not appear to be go well within the ghetto and the war seem like it will never end and and morale among the imprisoned jew be steadily wan and result in suicide leave and right . a jakob find a friend of his do something that will certainly get him kill by the nazi ( this particular friend decide to make a ham hand attempt at escape rather than overtly kill himself ) and jakob run to him and tell him that he hear on the radio that the russian be close in and would liberate them any day . his skeptical friend doubt him and so jakob quickly tell him that he have a radio so that he will believe the russian will be there to save them all soon and and his friend suicide be prevent . by the next morning and literally everyone in the ghetto know that jakob heym have a radio and and so he be venerate like a god and constantly hound about what the new news be and and thus enter the main conflict of the movie . and speaking of which and one of the thing that i really like about the movie be the complexity of it conflict . it a conflict that you sit there know what need to happen for a happy end and so you sit there and hope for that and because every option have terrible consequence . jakob and first and foremost and be absolutely terrified that word will reach the nazi who will execute him if they discover he have a radio ( whether he really have it or not ) and yet at the same time he can not let it get out within the ghetto that he doesnt have a radio and because since the whole rumor begin the rampant suicide have completely cease . what he have to do and then and be walk the fine line between deliver lot of fictitious good news to the whole ghetto without let the nazi find out about it . there be definitely something that need to be say about the importance of a movie like this . obviously and holocaust movie be nothing new and and different depiction of the holocaust have be especially in the spotlight since roberto benigni make a holocaust movie call life be beautiful in 1997 and at least half of which be a comedy . a lot of people felt that it be distasteful to present something a serious and tragic a the holocaust in such a light . and not just average moviegoer like me and either . spielberg think it be too lighthearted for such weighty subject matter and and from a certain point of view and he right . on the other hand and however and the fact that you laugh during the film do not change the meaning of the war that it focus on . the nazi kill funny people and too . i read a review on the title page for jakob the liar here on the imdb and where a reviewer who completely miss the boat on this movie criticize it for thing like the comedic content and the behavior and presentation of the jew of the ghetto and and the choice of robin williams for the role of jakob heym . to be perfectly honest and i can never understand people like that . the way i see it and as long a a movie take the holocaust seriously then it should not be criticize for be a holocaust film that not in the right format or that have an actor who have do too many comedy role . this same reviewer and by the way and praised life be beautiful and a spectacular film and a be jakob the liar . i can certainly understand that there be people who be touchy about the holocaust . it be inarguably one of the most tragic event in all of record human history and make even more tragic by the fact that it be perpetrate by human against other human . it sicken . but there be no joke about the holocaust in jakob the liar . the jew do not act like victim . it be historically accurate and do not compromise the truth of what happen for the sake of entertainment . it present a story of a ghetto full of captive jew who have have their life steal from them and be desperate for some hope and and one man try to help and inadvertently find himself in a position to provide massive amount of hope to them and but at massive risk to his own safety . so if you do not like to see robin williams play serious and dramatic role ( role at which he be increasingly display his massive talent ) and do not watch the movie . it be neither a secret that williams be in the movie and nor that it a serious role . one look at the cover box will tell you that . but if it the holocaust be take seriously that trouble you and maybe you should be more concerned about the fact that there be people and alive today and here in the 21st century and and presumably relatively educated american citizen and who do not believe that the holocaust ever even happen . so like i say and if youre that concern about the portrayal of the holocaust and maybe focus your effort on these nutcase who have convince themselves that the holocaust itself be just a fable . maybe a myth that mother start tell their kid to make them scar of german or some other such nonsense . jakob the liar have no illusion and it take a tragedy in human history and tell a story of a man who do what he could to help those suffer around him and and robin williams should obviously be commend for the power of his performance and as should the rest of the cast . the thing to keep in mind be that there be no certain perspective from which to view thing like the holocaust . everyone have different thought and feeling about it and and in the movie these different perspective can be provide in different way without compromise the severity and finality of the event itself . jakob the liar do not at all trivialize the holocaust in any way and what it do be honor the loss of it victim and who come from all walk of life .