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Austin360 blogs > Austin Movie Blog > Archives > 2008 > October > 18 > Entry
Goldblum in Adam Resurrected
Jeff Goldblum gives one of the best performances of his career in “Adam Resurrected.”
After by-the-numbers roles in such blockbusters as “Jurassic Park” and “Independence Day”, it’s nice to see him have a meaty role as a Holocaust survivor haunted by his degradation at the hands of a Nazi concentration camp officer (Willem Dafoe).
But even his fine performance won’t make this a success at the box office, regrettably.
The story of the concentration camp horrors is primarily told in flashback as Goldblum’s Adam tries to cope with a long stint in a mental institution. And as the details emerge, the movie fails to balance the horror with nobility, hope or redemption.
There’s occasional relief in his comic lust toward a nurse, and there’s even hope in his developing relationship with a child who thinks and acts as if he’s a dog. But these elements can’t bring enough dramatic vitality to offset the overwhelming sense of depression.
Perhaps that’s the point. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It just makes for a difficult two hours, and most audiences won’t be eager to share the pain.
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