Jakob the Liar

"When all hope was lost, he invented it."

1999 2h 0m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

🥫

31%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.5

IMDB

★6.7TMDB · 421🥫31%Rotten Tomatoes●40Metacritic★6.5IMDB · 18,527

ComedyDramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1944 Poland, a Jewish shop keeper named Jakob is summoned to ghetto headquarters after being caught out after curfew. While waiting for the German Kommondant, Jakob overhears a German radio broadcast about Russian troop movements. Returned to the ghetto, the shopkeeper shares his information with a friend and then rumors fly that there is a secret radio within the ghetto.

“When all hope was lost, he invented it.”

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Cast

Robin Williams
Jakob Heym
Liev Schreiber
Mischa
Hannah Taylor-Gordon
Lina Kronstein
Alan Arkin
Max Frankfurter
Michael Jeter
Avron
Bob Balaban
Kowalsky
Armin Mueller-Stahl
Prof. Dr. Kirschbaum
Éva Igó
Lina's Mother

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Peter Kassovitz
Writers: Didier Decoin, Peter Kassovitz
Languages: English
Countries: France, Hungary, United States of America, Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 11% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: France, Hungary, United States of America, Germany.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Peter Kassovitz, shot by Elemér Ragályi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Edward Shearmur. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Claire Simpson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robin Williams and Liev Schreiber and Hannah Taylor-Gordon carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When all hope was lost, he invented it.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Peter Kassovitz directs. Elemér Ragályi behind the camera. Edward Shearmur scores. Claire Simpson cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France, Hungary, United States of America, Germany. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 11% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
227 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 4 countries: France, Hungary, United States of America, Germany.
4Directed by Peter Kassovitz, shot by Elemér Ragályi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Edward Shearmur. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Claire Simpson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Robin Williams and Liev Schreiber and Hannah Taylor-Gordon carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "When all hope was lost, he invented it.".
9IMDB entry: tt0120716 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 24 themes, including "based on novel or book", "jewish ghetto", "polish resistance", "jewry".