Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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54 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Astonishing, April 16, 2005
I just watched I am David and I loved it! This is a movie that is so full of the human spirit that you can't help but cry and be moved. This is a movie that didn't need gratuitous sex scenes, foul language and endless violence to make it amazing, just raw human emotion about a young boy who is trying to find life, and what else it has to offer than all he's know in the camp. I recommend this movie to anyone who want to watch a movie with their entire family!
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Tale of Courage and Hope, June 12, 2006
"I Am David" is a low-budget but finely crafted story of an 11 year old boy who has spent most of his short life in a Bulgarian Gulag during the horrors of the Stalin era. He escapes, with the help of his mentor Johannes, and the head officer of the forced labor camp, and is told to "Trust no one." Writer/director Paul Feig based his film on the bestseller "North to Freedom" by Anne Holm, and the script is intelligent and has sensitivity and depth. David makes his way through Greece and Italy, and into Switzerland, with the constant fear that he will be returned to the labor camp.
The cast is excellent, with Ben Tibber as the stoic and courageous David, and Joan Plowright, who adds to her lifetime of flawless performances here with the portrayal of Sophie, an artist who teaches David to trust in life and humanity. In the small but pivotal part of Johannes, Jim Caviezel is marvelous. This was filmed before he played Jesus in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," and some other actors in "The Passion" are also in "I Am David," notably Hristo Shopov (who was Pontius Pilate) as the head officer, and Francesco De Vito (Peter) as Roberto the sailor/truck driver. Director Feig has a cameo as an American whose car runs out of gas, in one of the more humorous scenes in the film.
The DVD features are good, and include interviews with producers and actors on how the film was planned and made, deleted scenes, and interesting commentary by Feig, where he shows us just how stringent his budget was, and how he had to cut corners. Despite the financial limitations, this is an inspiring film, as well as an entertaining one. "I Am David" makes wonderful family viewing, and will give younger audiences a glimpse into the Gulags behind the Iron Curtain of the early 1950s, and how the human spirit can conquer adversity.
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35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
High suspense for the whole family., April 25, 2005
One of those rare movies that keeps you on the edge of your seat with gripping suspense, yet is suitable for the whole family. Young David escapes from a Gulag at the beginning, and the story followes his perilous solo journey across Eastern Europe and Italy. The boy has been told a safe destination, but lacks the knowledge to be sure when he's in safe territory, or who he can trust. The situation reminded me of the classic "A Boy Ten Feet Tall" starring Edward G. Robinson (aka "Sammy Going South"). Without giving away too much, I'll just say the ending has a few surprises that are not disappointing.
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