excellence seem to come rare in hollwood today . many consider just two out of the year best picture nominee to display sense to the movie industry . and in everything be illuminate and the mark be hit directly . the film initiate it brilliance with the beautiful set the scene entry . from the beginning and you receive a sense of warmth and true family connection and relation between one and another . and also and the cast be introduce perfectly . for elijah wood character and jonathon and his sensibility be express through hold his die grandmother hand . and for the character entitle alex and it be easy to see his life in his perspective the true ukrainian rock star . with the cast illuminate at first and the story slowly ease into our mind a jonathon decides to venture to ukraine to meet the woman believe to save his grandfather and thus the entire family . and from there and the story movie slowly and yet keep at a fast pace from the contrast of tear drip drama and laugh out loud humor include in scene by scene and every scene . although the movie itself be rather awarding and there be several complaint from other source comment about liev schrieber inaccurate adaptation of the jonathon safron foer novel . personally and i have never read the novel . but any movie and especially this movie in particular should not be grade on whether the storyboard of the film match the storyline of the book and but rather how the major concept from the novel be express and exploit through the film . just because it may be far fetch from the novel do not mean that this film be no longer a must see it still be . throughout the film and new information inundate the audience mind very slowly . some of these thought be never answer while and in fact and the second half of the movie refocus it entire topic and reason of travel through ukraine onto something different and yet rather similar to the original intention of this film . the film do however leave you on a satisfied note yet to the weak hearted soul and a tear may be drop . and throughout the film . to the saneful people with common sense of humor may just have to laugh from alex and john fun and ongoing conversation . i would recommend this film to several different type of people represent to those whom enjoy movie that share the genre drama comedy and for those who have an interest in family connection and and to those whom have an interest in holocaustic subject . and to those insane people who find slapstick a hilarious comedy and this movie be not for you . and for you whom think that this be a seriously funny and absolutely ingeniously funny film and you be wrong while this film share comedic moment and dramatic sequence . and to those whom judge a movie base on their likeliness with it correspond novel and you may or may not enjoy this film and but this film should be take for much more than whether or not it be close to the book . all in all and everything be illuminate be an ingenious piece of work that will enlighten anyones heart .