cv237_20635.txt

there_EX
is_BEZ
a_DT
scene_NN
early_JJ
in_IN
jakob_NP
the_DT
liar_NN
that_CS
hints_NNS
at_IN
how_WRB
much_DT
better_JJR
it_PP
could_MD
have_HV
been_BEN
._.
the_DT
scene_NN
is_BEZ
set_VBN
in_IN
a_DT
jewish_JJ
ghetto_NN
in_IN
poland_NP
circa_RB
1944_CD
,_,
where_CS
a_DT
one-time_JJ
cafe_NN
proprietor_NN
named_VBN
jakob_NP
heym_NP
is_BEZ
walking_VBG
resolutely_RB
through_IN
the_DT
streets_NNS
,_,
fists_NNS
stuffed_VBN
into_IN
coat_NN
pockets_NNS
._.
to_IN
one_CD
side_NN
of_IN
him_PP
,_,
residents_NNS
scavenge_VB
for_IN
food_NN
in_IN
the_DT
street_NN
;_;
to_IN
the_DT
other_JJ
side_NN
,_,
german_JJ
troops_NNS
beat_VB
a_DT
group_NN
of_IN
jews_NNS
._.
jakob_NP
,_,
however_RB
,_,
never_RB
stops_VBZ
moving_VBG
._.
it_PP
's_BEZ
an_DT
efficient_JJ
,_,
effective_JJ
set-up_NN
for_IN
the_DT
character_NN
,_,
who_WP
is_BEZ
clearly_RB
nobody_PN
's_MD
idea_NN
of_IN
a_DT
hero_NN
at_IN
the_DT
outset_NN
._.
he_PP
is_BEZ
a_DT
man_NN
who_WP
has_HVZ
responded_VBN
to_IN
the_DT
horror_NN
of_IN
his_PP$
surroundings_NNS
by_IN
withdrawing_VBG
from_IN
them_PP
,_,
excising_VBG
his_PP$
moral_JJ
peripheral_JJ
vision_NN
._.
the_DT
set-up_NN
is_BEZ
critical_JJ
because_CS
fate_NN
will_MD
turn_VB
jakob_NP
into_IN
a_DT
reluctant_JJ
savior_JJ
._.
after_IN
a_DT
visit_NN
to_IN
a_DT
german_JJ
commandant_NN
's_POS
office_NN
and_CC
a_DT
moment_NN
alone_RB
with_IN
a_DT
turned-on_???
radio_NN
,_,
jakob_NP
learns_VBZ
that_CS
russian_JJ
troops_NNS
are_BER
quite_RB
near_IN
._.
when_CS
he_PP
brings_VBZ
this_DT
first_OD
news_NN
of_IN
the_DT
war_NN
in_IN
years_NNS
to_IN
his_PP$
fellow_NN
jews_NNS
,_,
they_PP
become_VB
convinced_JJ
that_CS
he_PP
must_MD
have_HV
a_DT
radio_NN
,_,
which_WDT
is_BEZ
a_DT
punishable_JJ
offense_NN
in_IN
the_DT
ghetto_NN
._.
the_DT
good_JJ
news_NN
brings_VBZ
hope_NN
to_IN
the_DT
ghetto_NN
;_;
the_DT
everyday_JJ
specter_NN
of_IN
suicide_NN
vanishes_VBZ
._.
a_DT
private_JJ
man_NN
of_IN
limited_JJ
creativity_NN
finds_VBZ
himself_PPX
burdened_VBN
with_IN
creating_VBG
stories_NNS
of_IN
russian_JJ
military_JJ
progress_NN
just_RB
to_IN
keep_NN
his_PP$
neighbors_NNS
alive_JJ
._.
this_DT
promising_JJ
story_NN
of_IN
an_DT
ordinary_JJ
person_NN
doing_DOG
the_DT
extraordinary_JJ
is_BEZ
burdened_VBN
from_IN
the_DT
outset_NN
by_IN
casting_NN
:_:
the_DT
"_"
ordinary_JJ
person_NN
"_"
in_IN
question_NN
,_,
jakob_NP
heym_NP
,_,
is_BEZ
played_VBN
by_IN
robin_NP
williams_NP
._.
i_PP
am_BEM
of_IN
the_DT
depressing_JJ
opinion_NN
that_CS
williams_NP
is_BEZ
growing_JJ
less_DT
assured_JJ
as_IN
an_DT
actor_NN
in_IN
his_PP$
"_"
serious_JJ
"_"
roles_NNS
with_IN
every_DT
passing_NN
year_NN
._.
compare_VB
his_PP$
dramatic_JJ
scenes_NNS
in_IN
the_DT
world_NN
according_VBG
to_IN
garp_???
and_CC
moscow_NP
on_IN
the_DT
hudson_NP
with_IN
what_WDT
dreams_NNS
may_MD
come_VB
or_CC
patch_NN
adams_NP
,_,
and_CC
see_VB
how_WRB
much_DT
more_DT
mannered_JJ
he_PP
has_HVZ
become_VBN
(_(
or_CC
,_,
at_IN
the_DT
very_RB
least_RBS
,_,
how_WRB
much_DT
less_DT
sensible_JJ
at_IN
choosing_VBG
material_NN
)_)
._.
jakob_NP
the_DT
liar_NN
depends_VBZ
on_IN
the_DT
notion_NN
that_CS
jakob_NP
has_HVZ
to_TO
struggle_VB
to_IN
craft_NN
his_PP$
fictions_NNS
,_,
but_CC
williams_NP
always_RB
looks_VBZ
like_IN
he_PP
's_BEZ
struggling_VBG
_not__???
to_TO
craft_NN
them_PP
._.
when_CS
he_PP
improvises_VBZ
a_DT
radio_NN
address_NN
by_IN
winston_NP
churchill_NP
for_IN
ailing_JJ
10-year-old_NN
orphan_NN
lina_???
(_(
hannah_NP
taylor_NP
gordon_NP
)_)
,_,
he_PP
seems_VBZ
relieved_JJ
that_CS
he_PP
can_MD
finally_RB
get_VB
wacky_JJ
._.
oh_UH
yes_UH
,_,
and_CC
then_RB
there_EX
's_BEZ
that_DT
little_JJ
girl_NN
._.
some_DT
viewers_NNS
will_MD
undoubtedly_RB
consider_VB
the_DT
hero_NN
's_POS
fanciful_JJ
stories_NNS
for_IN
a_DT
young_JJ
charge_NN
too_RB
reminiscent_JJ
of_IN
life_NN
is_BEZ
beautiful_JJ
,_,
but_CC
those_DT
scenes_NNS
aren't_BER
problematic_JJ
because_CS
they're_???
familiar_JJ
._.
they're_???
problematic_JJ
because_CS
they're_???
jarring_NNS
and_CC
distracting_VBG
,_,
introducing_VBG
a_DT
cutesy_NN
relationship_NN
into_IN
a_DT
film_NN
that_CS
shouldn't_???
have_HV
been_BEN
about_IN
cutesy_NN
relationships_NNS
._.
jakob_NP
's_POS
character_NN
arc_NN
may_MD
be_BE
about_IN
his_PP$
willingness_NN
to_IN
act_NN
for_IN
the_DT
benefit_NN
of_IN
others_NNS
,_,
but_CC
there_EX
are_BER
plenty_PN
of_IN
others_NNS
without_IN
poor_JJ
little_JJ
lina_???
._.
every_DT
scene_NN
with_IN
her_PP$
feels_VBZ
contrived_JJ
,_,
pulling_VBG
jakob_NP
the_DT
liar_NN
away_RB
from_IN
its_PP$
central_JJ
story_NN
of_IN
hope_NN
coming_VBG
to_IN
a_DT
previously_RB
hopeless_JJ
people_NN
._.
it_PP
is_BEZ
a_DT
pleasant_JJ
surprise_NN
to_IN
find_VB
that_RB
jakob_NP
the_DT
liar_NN
is_BEZ
a_DT
much_RB
grittier_RBR
production_NN
than_CS
you_PP
might_MD
expect_VB
from_IN
a_DT
hollywood-ized_JJ
holocaust_NP
,_,
combining_VBG
the_DT
weighty_JJ
subject_NN
matter_NN
with_IN
dark_JJ
humor_NN
in_IN
some_DT
effective_JJ
ways_NNS
._.
director_NN
peter_NP
kassovitz_NP
,_,
working_VBG
from_IN
jurek_NP
becker_NP
's_POS
novel_NN
,_,
crafts_NNS
some_DT
nice_JJ
scenes_NNS
between_IN
jakob_NP
and_CC
the_DT
other_JJ
townspeople_NN
,_,
and_CC
draws_VBZ
solid_JJ
performances_NNS
from_IN
armin_NP
mueller-stahl_NP
(_(
as_IN
a_DT
once-revered_JJ
doctor_NN
)_)
and_CC
bob_NP
balaban_JJ
(_(
as_CS
a_DT
barber_NN
drifting_VBG
into_IN
depression_NN
)_)
._.
there_EX
are_BER
just_RB
too_RB
many_DT
things_NNS
going_VBG
on_IN
that_DT
prove_VB
distracting_VBG
,_,
whether_CS
it_PP
's_BEZ
the_DT
sketchy_NN
romanctic_JJ
angle_NN
involving_VBG
liev_???
schreiber_JJ
as_CS
an_DT
earnest_JJ
former_DT
prizefighter_NN
,_,
or_CC
williams_NP
'_"
incongrous_JJ
presence_NN
,_,
or_CC
a_DT
sweet_JJ
but_CC
utterly_RB
irrelevant_JJ
little_JJ
girl_NN
._.
jakob_NP
the_DT
liar_NN
deals_NNS
with_IN
too_RB
delicate_JJ
a_DT
subject_NN
for_IN
such_DT
fumbling_NN
,_,
and_CC
has_HVZ
too_RB
compelling_JJ
a_DT
central_JJ
character_NN
to_IN
waste_NN
._.
and_CC
after_IN
one_CD
wonderful_JJ
early_JJ
scene_NN
,_,
you_PP
can_MD
see_VB
the_DT
film_NN
wasted_VBD
and_CC
fumbled_VBD
away_RB
._.