as equally quirky and charming as the book.

I can’t believe I did not see this sooner. In fact, I started watching it several months ago on cable but parts were subtitled and I decided to record it and take a nap. Then my DVR got messed up and I never got a chance to see it. Finally today I sat down and watched the entire movie. It’s SO GOOD! Very touching. My grandmother came from Odessa . . . this movie really makes you think about family.

I started listening to this audiobook, but never got past the first tape. It just didn’t resonate with me the way Foer’s ‘Extremely Loud’ did.

I really loved the movie. I was slightly unnerved by Elijah Wood’s (JonFen) glasses the whole time, though. Wasn’t that hell to wear such magnified glasses during filming? Also it reminded me too much of his ‘Kevin” character in Sin City. Creepy.

“Did you manufacture some z’s?”

If I were watching the movie just for the sake of watching the movie, it would have gotten five stars all the way. It was beautifully made, absolutely funny (although almost too funny at times) and serious all at once, and it left me thinking about several of the story’s aspects.

However, having read the book, there were some significant differences, the biggest being that they really only told half the story. It was arguably the more important half, of course, and the underlying premise of the movie, but the entire history of Trachimbrod that is portrayed so beautifully in the book was almost entirely absent. I can understand it, though, because so much of that half of the story is very internal; there’s not much dialogue, so it would probably be more confusing than helpful if translated into movie form.

Aside from that, there were a few characteristics of Jonathan, Alex and Alex’s grandfather that were slightly misrepresented, but it wasn’t significant enough to make me dislike the film.

“Many girls want to be carnal with me… because I’m such a premium dancer!” Alex

But seriously, this is a premium movie. I laughed out loud and cried a little. I loved the relationship between Alex, his Grandfather, and Sammy Davis Jr. Jr., the seeing eye bitch. It all just fit in together. I recommend it.

What a truly incredible and suprising journey. It starts out in a humourous way that might be confused with Borat, and rather unexpected, but after the first couple of chapters turns towards a gentle and at times sad reflectivity. There’s a lovely score, and an ending that provides a clever observation—of what is humankind.

Perhaps, the desire to explore and belong is a comforting evolutionary artifact that synthesizes boundaries and xenophobia. The same human mechanism may lead us to believe we are ‘Jews’ or ‘Nazis’ though we all may come from Africa.

I have not read the book so I can’t compare them, but I really loved the movie. It was a little bit quirky, a little bit funny, a little bit sweet and a little bit sad. Very enjoyable.