Even when it flies off the rails deep into its third act, Resurrected remains strangely hypnotic.
Adam Resurrected (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:37
Fresh:13
Rotten:24
Average Rating:5.1/10
Consensus: Such an unusual tale might have made for a compelling drama, but Adam Resurrected suffers from narrative confusion and an emotional detachment at its core.
Synopsis: The trouble with Holocaust movies is that they're about the Holocaust; they resurrect an illustrious horror, habited by history's most reliable demons, with little to say except that, yes, this was... The trouble with Holocaust movies is that they're about the Holocaust; they resurrect an illustrious horror, habited by history's most reliable demons, with little to say except that, yes, this was a tragedy. ADAM RESURRECTED isn't likely to fit anyone's definition of a Holocaust movie. As director Paul Schrader (AFFLICTION) summarized, "It's a film about a man who once was a dog who meets a dog who once was a boy." Clear enough? Jeff Goldblum plays Adam Stein, a Jeff Goldblum-esque Jewish entertainer who survived the concentration camps by being the personal dog for Commandant Klein (Willem Dafoe). While his wife and daughter were being incinerated, Adam was entertaining on all fours, fighting with a German Shepherd over scraps, and getting his ears lovingly scratched. Ever since, he's been in and out of a psychiatric hospital for survivors in Israel. There, the ex-magician casts his spell over patients and staff, particularly his gorgeous nurse Gina (Ayelet Zurer). But when Adam discovers an abused child in the hospital who acts like a dog, it brings back his traumatic past--and may offer a chance for redemption. Based on the novel by Yoram Kaniuk, ADAM RESURRECTED is a mystifying mixed metaphor that skirts the edge between reality and dream. Enhancing the uncanny atmosphere is Goldblum who, warbling in and out of his German accent, is a delight to watch. If meaning is opaque, the film is resolutely fearless, with many moments not often seen on film--including a Nazi appearing from a burning bush, canine sexual roleplay, and an adolescent in loincloth being led by chain--or likely seen again. [More]
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Ayelet Zurer
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Ayelet Zurer, Moritz Bleibtreu
Director: Paul Schrader
Director: Paul Schrader
Producer: Ehud Bleiburg, Werner Wirsing
Reviews for Adam Resurrected
For all the nightmarish scenes conceived as a creepy cross between Burroughs and Weisel, we don't receive the cathartic satisfaction typically related to the dramatization of Jewish tragedy.
Jeff Goldblum gives a remarkable range to the title character, from the theatrical flair of his cabaret performances to his deep anguish at an Israeli cemetery.
The conclusion of the film conveys a sense of moderate relief over life-altering transformation, shortchanging the miracle Goldblum is working overtime to achieve.
Could have been a tour de force for director Paul Schrader and his cast, and the glimpses of greatness make the reality all the more disappointing.
Might have been a touching story of deep irony if Schrader's approach didn't suffer so much from narrative confusion in an effort to convey the disorientation at its center.
Goldblum's performance as Adam is complex and engrossing to watch ...
"Slaughter House Five" meets "The Night Porter" in director Paul Schrader's energetic adaptation of Yoran Kaniuk's 1968 novel about former cabaret star Adam Stein (brilliantly played by Jeff Goldblum).
An experience that is intellectual where it should be emotional, one belonging more on the stage than on the screen, a picture to be respected more than wrapped up in.
The director, Paul Schrader, tries for cleansing audacity, but ends up too close to farce.
Weird combination of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and a Holocaust drama is (almost) saved by Jeff Goldblum's commanding lead performance.
Between Jeff Goldblum's wildly over-mannered performance and the schlocky treatment of serious subject matter, it's hard to know whether to simply dismiss the film or be outraged by it.
You've got to hand it to Schrader: He pulls off enough of this impressionistic comedy to provoke passions and arguments anew about a topic that seems done to death.
Goldblum gives a powerful performance in this film. His is one of the best performances by any actor in any film released in 2008.
It seems to have been written in a tone of magical realism, but the director is Paul Schrader, a filmmaker who has many talents, but no feel for whimsy, let alone magic.
In a less competitive year, Jeff Goldblum would have had a shot at an Oscar nod.
There's no doubt about this one extending [Paul Schrader's] run of low profile non-events.
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October 30, 2008:
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