Jakob Faces the Ugly Truth

It was supposed to prove that Hollywood could take on an Oscar-winning film - Roberto Benigni's Life is Beautiful - and better it. Sadly Robin Williams' Jakob the Liar opened this weekend in the States to dismal reviews and even sadder box office figures. 'It airbrushes, trivialises and Disney-fies the World Word II ghetto experience,' declared one disgusted critic while another (with his head in his hands presumably) criticised the decision to cast Williams, saying 'his presence in the movie damages its credibility and effectiveness. The movie, which was produced by Williams' wife Marcia, features the comic as an inmate of a Polish ghetto who cheers his fellow Jews by pretending he has a radio and then making up news that the war is going badly for Germany. A look at the official website suggests that Williams might try and switch the blame for this on his wife. 'She just has amazing instincts,' says Williams. 'She's the one that found this piece, and she's the one that basically went out and got a lot of this cast.' Nice try, Robin.