Rating: 
Summary: No real heroes, but real spirit
Review: If you want to see a holocaust movie, then I suspect there are better films to view. But this movie is real in its presentation of the human spirit: sometimes up, sometimes down, but real. There are no real heroes...just people doing the best they can under terrible conditions. It wasn't their belief in each other or their belief in some higher being that kept them going, but their very humaness that sustained them.
Rating: 
Summary: Long Live hope
Review: If you've seen Life is Beautiful...you will like this for sure...for those who haven't...the movie takes place in a Jewish "ghetto" under Germany's control. This movie isn't a war story as much as it is about Hope and the ability to bring hope to people in the most dire of circumstances. Robin Williams is very good in this movie although maybe not quite frightened enough of the Germans. Although I guess without experiencing that sort of thing, it would be hard to portray the kind of fear that I'm sure the people at that time felt. The movie has a few light-hearted moments that add to the flow of the movie...although be warned, it starts a little slow. The pay off definitely comes in the end though.
Rating:
Summary: SHOULD A LIE BRING HOPE?
Review: Jacob has a secret. Trapped in a Jewish ghetto in Poland, he has a radio giving news of a pending Russian attack on the Nazis not far from the ghetto. Ah, his secret leaks out. Now everyone knows about the radio and are demanding a day by day account from Jacob, the pancake maker. You would think all would be well in knowing liberation is just around the corner except it is not true. There never was a radio. Jacob's telling of another story gets misunderstood to the point where people believe he has a radio. As the rumor spreads Jacob knows his life is in danger for his Nazis captors will kill him. Jacob wants to survive. His people want news. He lies. Robin Williams portrays a character caught in a rough situation. What do you do when a lie brings hope? At the same time it has brought death. How much should you say when your every word could endanger your entire community? We see Jacob facing this delicate balance of a moral dilemma in which no clear answers appear. What do you do in such a situation? Feed people with false hope or stay the course of survival? Such is the heart of this film which shows us what can happen in an absurd crisis which becomes a danger to all. A bit of humor and life comes through with Williams as he shows that those in the ghetto still lived life inspite of the Nazis. Will they be able to survive through Jacob's lies? You find the answer.
Rating: 
Summary: Not very interesting.
Review: Jakob the Liar isn't a great film. It has potential, but it never accomplishes much. The acting by the entire cast is good, but nothing memorable--everyone seems to be going through the motions. I couldn't get into any of the characters at all. The plot isn't that interesting either and the film is too long. It shifts from a comedic to a serious tone the entire time and drags a bit during the first hour also. Don't get me wrong, the movie isn't poor, it's just that it is not that satisfying. There are some scenes that are somewhat interesting though. Jakob the Liar seems to really try to be something, but it still ends up being quite dull for the most part. I actually give this movie 2.5 stars. It is between risky and satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: When mass hysteria counts for something
Review: JAKOB THE LIAR lets you know when mass hysteria counts for something. See this movie, but not for historical content. See it to feel the power of hope. As you watch, don't sob, don't wish that prayer had done a better job. Hang in there tight for the first fifteen minutes of the film while the director builds the character of Jakob Heym, menteur. Then, watch while Jakob ostensibly tunes into a radio full of ridiculous war news which he passes on mendaciously as the truth. I doubt that any actor except Robin Williams could have pulled this off. It has a remarkable scene with Williams telling the Ghetto denizens about the army tanks that have just came off the boat from Chicago. It has a more remarkable scene of Williams tuning in the radio for a orphan waif who actually believes that her remarks are heard by Churchill. The humor is on the cynical side. The comedy is on the hope side. Want to listen to honest dialogue? See this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Even still, it's a wonderful movie.
Review: Jakob The Liar no doubt had it's bad reviews. But I loved it anyway; it was filmed nicely, it had an amazing story line, and it looked like it was filmed and crafted with great care. I will no doubt someday buy this on DVD. See this film without having any experience of any other movie -- just take it all in AS an experience. The ending may have fallen short; but... well... it retrospect it probably couldn't of ended any other way.
Rating:
Summary: Robin Williams is stuck in a ghetto in Jakob the Liar.
Review: Jakob the Liar takes place during World War II. This is during the time of Adolf Hitler. He had a great hatred for jews. Jakob is a jew. Jakob's wife is killed and his neighborhood is turned into a ghetto. So that's where the movie picks up at. Jakob is looking at a tree where he first kissed his late wife at the ghetto wall. The curfew that the jews can't be out of their homes is 8:00 P.M. So Jakob (Robin Williams) is found outside close to 8 P.M. He gets told to go see the officer on duty and get his punshiment. Before the war Jakob ran a cafe. He made food like Potato Pancakes. Jakob has a deal with Kowalsky. He gets a free shave every morning. And Kowalsky gets to eat as many Potatos Pancakes as he wants. But the problem is that Jakob hasn't made pancakes in in three years because the germans don't allow any potatos in the ghetto. Jakob hears a story and tells a bigmouth former boxer (Liev Schreiber). The rumor spread that Jakob has a radio. Jakob aslo finds himself caring for a 10 and half years old girl named Lina (Hannah Taylor Gordon).
Rating:
Summary: skipped the theatres....straight to video
Review: Robin Williams plays a Jew trapped in a nazi ghetto during the late days of WWII. It is rumored that he has a radio, which the nazis do not allow. The word spreads that he has a radio and he is forced to make up stories about the advancing Russian troops that are coming to save them. He succeeds in lifting the spirits of his fellow Jews until the end, where....Anyway, if you want to be upset, plan a night of sitting at home watching this flick. While the film quality, storyline, and acting are good, it is downright depressing. There are almost no positive moments in this film and if you are looking for a fun Robin Williams film, look elsewhere. There is a reason that this film was budgeted for $15 million and only made $5 million in the theatres. It is a waste to mention it in the same breath as Schindler's List. This movie should have never been made.
Rating: 
Summary: A waste of time; one of the year's worst.......
Review: Robin Williams takes time off from hammy overacting and decides instead to bore us to tears with this trite melodrama. Phony to the core (it felt like a high school play rather than a realistic WWII setting), it lacked a narrative flow and failed to generate any interest in the poorly drawn characters. As said, it was refreshing to have Williams take a break from his relentless mugging, but here he is so obviously employing a bad accent that it is just as difficult to take him seriously. Scene after scene passes before our eyes without drama or even a compelling reason to exist. Moreover, the alleged hope that Jakob's radio "reports" was to have inspired is neither demonstrated nor felt. And the ending? While it is meant to be fantasy, it is difficult to imagine that the young girl had in her memory an American jazz band complete with fashions she had never witnessed. On what does she base this final delusion? Little makes sense and when a film is this dry and lifeless, one is not inclined to figure it out.
Rating:
Summary: Great Robin Williams Performance
Review: Robin Williams was perfectly cast as Jakob Heim. The critics hated this movie, but I enjoyed it alot. This is one of my favorite Robin Williams films, next to Good Will Hunting and Dead Poets Society. This is a great Holocaust movie and you should buy it or at least rent it!
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