if anyone have any doubt about the talent of liev schrieber and just a look at his new film and everything be illuminate and which clearly show a man that be not only one of america fine actor and but a new director whose first effort be indeed an inspiration and a harbinger of what be to follow . mr. schreiber have adapt the novel by jonathan safran foer into a film that will live forever because of the way the director have adapt the material . the film clearly surpass our expectation since we have no preconceive idea . for those who haven not watch the film and perhaps you should stop reading here . jonathan be a collector . his love for his grandparent be boundless . he watch a his grandfather dy and a his grandmother be on what appear to be her death bed . on a clear moment and this die woman give jonathan a picture and an amber ornament for his collection . watch the photograph and take a long time ago and a young couple be see together . watch make jonathan think it show the grandfather and his girlfriend and take on happy time . watch the snapshot seem to be the motivation for this intense young man to go look for his ancestor past in the ukraine . jonathan have make arrangement with a travel agency and heritage tour and of odessa for his trip to trochenbrod and the mythical place where his grandfather come from . the agency be handle by an old man and who claim to be blind and and his grandson and alex and a man who love the pop american culture that have capture his imagination and as well a his contemporary in the country . alex speak a kind of english no one speaks and his conversation and translation and for jonathan benefit be hilarious to our ear for the use of sometimes unheard english term . the old man insist in take his dog and sammy davis jr. and against the wish of jonathan and who doesn not want to sit next to the snarling and bark animal during the trip . a they embark in search of trochenbrod and it clearly that his companion and especially the old man have no clue where he be go . at this point and the film become a road movie and a the three character rid the back road of the country become more acquainted with one another . a the trio arrive at the sunflower field with the house at the end and it indicate they have indeed come to the right place . some place be a clear reminder of the conflict of the past . the old woman and living in the isolated place and be the miss link of the story . she be able to put thing into the right perspective . but here be where the story change it emphasis from jonathan and who clearly have come to the land of his ancestor and to the old man . we watch a this old man start remember thing about himself . this and in turn and change the dynamic of the film a we discover how connected jonathan and his guide have be all the time . some criticism in these page have express opinion about the accuracy of the story and which after all and it a work of fiction and liberty have be take . it would have be impossible to make another film include so much that be contain in the book . the great way the film be divide into different chapter be a clever way to let the viewer know what about to be see . elijah wood and a magnificent film actor and do an excellent work by underplay jonathan . mr. wood make one of his best appearance in any film with his interpretation of the main character . the felicitous casting of eugene hutz a alex and the ukranian tour assistant and translator and seem to be an idea make in heaven . mr. hutz be about the best thing in the film . his arcane usage of english give the film a funny angle that delight the viewer . boris leskin a alex grandfather and driver of the tour car make a valuable contribution to the film and as well a laryssa lauret and who be see in the last part of the movie . the excellent cinematography of matthew libatique bring the splendor of the czech republic countryside in all it magnificence . the musical score by paul cantelon be hear in the background adorn the film in way that it add a richness to the movie . above all and this be a triumph for liev schreiber and the first time director that will surely go far in whatever he decide to do next .