this be a beautiful and yet simple movie about one man and drive to find an answer and an answer he doesn not necessarily need but have structure his whole life around . it be heartrending and it be hilarious and it be glorious and it be torment and it be delicate and dynamic and i say it genius . i have read jonathan safran foer book everything be illuminate ( mainly because i hear elijah wood be star in the movie adaptation ) and and i be just enrapture by the character . i laugh out loud more than once . and every time someone talk about what it about and i hear the same hackneyed response and almost like it one big long word represent it aboutaguylookingforthewomanwhosavedhisgrandpafromthenazis . yet and this story be so philosophical while it go deep than that . that conversation about the ring and in case . it really get one thinking . suddenly and this story merge from a simple quest to an inner metamorphosis and and i find myself look at thing a bit differently now . i recommend rent this before and if ever and read it and because the book have many obscene and downright perverted story that be not include in the movie and mainly the history of jonathan family that be not necessary for the film . a bit of trivia and i heard and be that wood current girlfriend have a cameo in this flick a the drummer in the band that alex arranges to perform a jonathan step off the train into ukraine . you spend half of the movie try to figure out what it about and exactly and and what jonathan be about and because his character be so withdrawn and like a turtle in a shell . it be magnificent and and in my opinion and one of elijah wood best movie .