Shem

I liked the movie...well done, good acting for sure, but the story is very confusing. I felt as if the end left me hanging and trying to figure out about the stones, and who was protecting him. I really wish the ending had been more final. Overall, I am glad I viewed it, though I don't think with such a great story that they needed to be so extreme with the sex, sex can be hinted at without showing it so graphically. Watching this with my elder parents, as we are Jewish and were very interested in the story, was rather embarrassing with the sex scenes. On the other hand, they were somewhat necessary to show what kind of guy he was, but as I said, that can be shown without the entire sex scene. I am not a prude, sex scenes do not bother me, but it made the movie unwatchable for older people. My mom had me scan through these scenes and they loved the rest.

The longer this move goes on the more the loose ends that accumulate. Our hero's quest is reasonable. His grandmother wants him to find her father's grave before she dies. It would have helped if a relationship had been established between them that could serve as a basis for his adventure. As it is, it seems he's had little attachment to anyone and probably needs to fulfill her request of him in order to her need as well as his.

By the time the movie is over you are left wondering what the secret stones are, who the people are who were supposed to be following him, why he was able to escape every close call he had almost without a scratch, who exactly Theodore Weiss really was.

But let those all go and enjoy all the good looking people, the nice scenery, and the pretty music.

A London teenager gone astray discovers the reality of Eastern Europe on a quest for the missing grave of his great grand father. The grave is just an excuse for him to find who he really is, his identity both sexual (his gay tendency is obsessive throughout the movie) and spiritual (what does he believe in) and for us to travel through beautiful Central and Eastern European cities, Berlin, Budapest, Prague, Belgrade etc... The character is touching. He's incredibly good looking, like a 17 year old Jude Law and completely lost. His great grand father being Jewish, he meets rabbis and Jewish people all over Eastern Europe giving an interesting insight in what is left of the Yiddish communities today, 60 years after the Shoah almost completely destroyed them. We see people fighting to keep the memory of the Shoah alive and it is true that 17 year old kids today like the hero of he movie might not be fully aware of what happened as time gos by. He is also confronted with crime and poverty in Eastern Europe all things he was protected from in his London posh family. The movie exposes a very clever point of view on the disparities between people in the new enlarged European community. The director slowly, through some very provocative scenes distills the questions in the viewers mind.

Went to see this movie at a special screening in LA and thought it was rather interesting. It has one of my favourite directors of all time making a special cameo in it as well, Oscar winner Istvan Szabo (Mephisto, Taking Sides, Sunshine, Being Julia and many other amazing movie's!). I was surprised to see him appear in a movie as he usually stays behind the camera- however once I saw the lead actor in this film (Ash Newman- Best Actor New York Film Festival 2004), I realised that Istvan must have just wanted to act alongside this young rising star. As I watched Ash Newman on screen, I had recollections of when I first saw River Phoenix in "My own private idaho". He actually looks like a very young Jude Law but has the attitude and charisma of River Phoenix. I look forward to seeing more of this young actor's work in years to come.

Hello everyone, just seen this movie and wow....the actor Ash Newman who plays the lead character Daniel is amazing! I thought the film itself was interesting, with some beautiful shots even though it clearly did not have a big budget. Some of the supporting cast I didn't like but Ash Newman definitely made the film. He has a great intensity on screen and looks like a young Jude Law but is a much better actor in my opinion. After looking on the internet for more info on him, I just found out that he has won the Best Actor award at the New York Film Festival in June 2004 for this movie!! I predict he is going to be a superstar!