Adam Resurrected Review

"Adapted from the novel, ADAM RESURRECTED is a searing journey through the post-WWII psyche that illuminates the indistinct lines between freedom and captivity, truth and artifice, tragedy and comedy. At the center of the story is Adam Stein, once a popular German cabaret star who now, in the early 1960s, is living in a very different kind of three-ring circus: an experimental insane asylum in the Negev Desert in Israel. (Austin Film Festival)."



Adam Resurrected, the new WWII festival darling starring Jeff Goldblum, is the type of film you expect to see at a film fest--it's complex, daring, experimental, visually stimulating and at times, emotionally draining. It is the kind of film that, for better or worse, leaves you speechless.

That being said, there is no denying the fact that Goldblum owns this performance; he carries the narrative on his shoulders, truly personifying the tortured yet spirited character, however likable or unlikable he may be. It is this single quality, perhaps, that makes the film inspire conflict and provocation of thought. Adam is brilliant and a victim of hardship, yet he is flawed with a raging temper, and a manipulative and domineering personality. Yet, as the film progresses, we begin to see glimpses of humanity, and motive for Adam's persona.

William Defoe, who portrays a Nazi in Goldblum's flashbacks, also gives an incredibly strong performance, as does the supporting cast--a peculiar and damaged crew of insane asylum residents.

In an industry where WWII films are a dime a dozen, Adam Resurrected gives the audience a haunting and personal glimpse into one man's life amidst the war's aftermath. The film teeters on the edges of sanity and humanity and explores the pain that comes with surviving tragedy.