Everything Is Illuminated

This movie is a favorite of mine. I watched it my senior year of high school and for some reason, it left a strong impression on me. I cried like a baby and decided that the Ukraine is a must on my bucket list. It stars Elijah Wood as Jonathan, a Jewish American with a hobby/obsession of collecting.. well various random objects or mementos from his family. He comes across a picture of his grandfather and a woman that he has never met before. He then makes the the decision to journey to the Ukraine to find this woman who had saved his grandfather in the midst of World War II. During this journey, Jonathan meets some offbeat, but wonderful characters along the way, including Alex, played by Eugene Hutz. This movie is based off a book that I have not read yet, but is definitely on my list!  The dialogue between the character moves from  light and humorous to genuine and reflective with such effortless ease, it seems as though this is director Liev Schreiber's 10th film rather than his debut. The story told in the movie is a unique and beautiful one that will leave you with the nostalgic feeling that there are stories in your own family that can be uncovered if you are brave enough to look.