Enlightenment Movie Reviews

This film, with German subtitles, is an exceptional piece of work. It is warm, funny, clever and has so many subtle nuances, not the least of which is a delightful look at Tokyo and Buddhist temple life, that it totally captured my heart. This film is a "must see" for anyone who calls themselves a filmgoer!

Encounter the east with eyes of the west!
Encounter the True Self in the course of mid- life crisis.
Rediscovering the easily forgotten secret of happy life: Being mindful and Being present in the moment.
Above all, Absoltely Funny but smiles from the deepest!
I highly recommend to you who always feel that there are something missing in your life.

I propose that that critics don't perceive subtlety. This is a great film that not only explores adult sibling relationships. but also coming-of-age as an adult (an often ignored life transition). A WONDERFUL FILM for mature viewers. If this film comes to your town, SEE IT IF YOU DARE! And, leave with a smirk of empathy.

On the surface, this movie appears to be about two brothers who are searching (often in very different ways) for meaning in their lives. One of them decides a trip to a Japanese monastery will further his steps toward enlightenment and peace. The other brother begs to go along because his wife has suddenly abandoned him. He is bereft and at loose ends and hysterical with grief. Against his better impulses, the other brother gives in -and the adventure begins.
Once they arrive in Tokyo, the brothers struggle to cope with the difficulties of being in a foreign country and not being able to speak the language They find even the smallest parts of everyday life difficult - getting taxis, ordering food, etc. But they think that they know how to find their way back to their hotel, using two large buildings as landmarks. Unfortunately, at night, the lights of the "landmark" buildings are turned off, which leaves the men disoriented and totally lost. Even worse, they have no money.
And that's when they are forced to fall back on their own resources, hitting rock bottom, panicking...and then finding their way up again (I won't go into detail here because the pleasure of this film comes in watching the experiences of the brothers).
By the time they get to the monastery, they have come a long way from their old life. Not that life is easy at the monastery but they are ready to change, ready to start the real struggle ahead of them.
If I've made this film sound very serious or intellectual, it isn't. There is humor, grace and plenty of surprises in this charming film as well as an exploration of what makes life meaningful - and why. One of those rare films that pushes the viewer to think... and well worth the time spent watching it.

This is the story of two brothers who start the movie on opposite ends of the "got it together" spectrum and through a mass of crazy events wind up in a monestary in Japan diving into the magic of zen. Very touching, funny and dare I say. . .enlightening.

Great for those who know any German too.

If you have ever traveled, ever been out of your element, not spoken the language, not been familiar with the culture... this is the movie for you. On that level alone, this film is a gem.

In addition, there is a wonderfully gentle but transcendent Zen message lying underneath. These two hapless German brothers prove that when you've hit rock bottom, the one thing that is guaranteed to help is looking at things differently. Watching two middle-aged German men achieve a certain degree of Buddhist enlightenment is not only hilarious, it's also heartwarming.

When you first start watching the movie, you will think to yourself, "man, these are cruddy production values. It looks like it's on video tape." But by the end of the journey you will understand. And you will love it all the more for its untraditional production values. Because ultimately, the value of the film is not determined by the film's budget.

You only have to fall into one of the following categories to love this movie:
1) anyone who's traveled abroad
2) anyone who's looking for the answer to life's riddles
3) anyone who's interested in Buddhism
4) anyone who likes German movies
If you fit more than one category, you'll be in cinematic heaven.

As the story opens, we're immediately handed a mystery: Who is Daniel? What happened in his last days? Is he Dead? If so, how? Through flashbacks, we follow the spiritual transformation, as Daniel slowly awakens to the illusion surrounding him - the lies, the struggle, the social conditioning of everyday life. Overwhelmed by the world coming down around him, Daniel breaks out, disappears, and comes face-to-face with people all around him suffering from various forms of fear and disconnection.

Daniel's awakening allows him a sort of transcendental detatchment, from which he pronounces wisdom, and causes those around him to stop, think, and transform. While I appreciate the spirit of the film and script, I found the nature and ease of these transformations distracting and strained. Daniel seems like a smart and powerful person, and his wisdom is often profound, but even so, the awe-struck reactions he inspires are unrepresentative of the world I know.

Parallel to this, there's a sort of gnawing creepiness about Daniel. Maybe he's really insane? Maybe he's a charlatan? Why not play with these possibilies, and serve back some of the complexity that actually surrounds these issues in real life?

I respect this movie for approaching the human condition in a challenging way, and recommend it to anyone open to Buddhism - anyone who feels the chafe of social conditioning, and wants more... for those on the fence, or for whom "spiritual" is equal parts truth and nonsense... be forewarned...

After seeing Echos of Enlightenment at the Telluride IndieFest 2002 film festival, I was impressed with the professionalism, polish and general look of the film. The story was compelling and interesting and the acting was strong and convincing. I was particularly impressed with Giovanna Brokaw's performance, which although a small role in the grand scheme of the story and picture, comes across very powerfully.

Overall, the film tugged on my emotions on many levels. That's always a good sign for me, as I tend to be a bit cynical about films of this subject matter. However, it was a well-told story with very important social and spiritual messages.

If I were to offer it any criticism it would be that there are scenes that could be shorter and the overall length of the film is slightly longer than necessary. In my opinion it would be a more powerful film if time had been taken to remove unnecessary exposition that doesn't drive the story foreword. But these are such minor, nick picky issues that you would expect from a filmmaker. So, I'll stop my critique at that note and close with saying it is a film worth seeing and watching.

If Echos of Enlightenment is an example of Dan Coplan's true talent and not a `one shot wonder', he has the potential of being a great filmmaker.

Absolutely Essential Viewing for all Humanists.

Selected out of over 2000 entrants, "Echos of Enlightenment" was shown at the 2002 Telluride Film festival as one of only 12 given a platform. Curious to see this film, I was not disappointed, and, in fact, as a result of seeing it on the DVD now available, I sat watching the end credits convinced it is absolutely essential viewing for all humanists, and for that matter, anyone who has ever made a movie, or is thinking of making one.

Although the subject matter is universal to the human condition, it is difficult to imagine "mainstream" Hollywood tackling this in such a head-on manner. Dan Coplan has done this with his first independent feature film.

Mystical in it's approach to the story of an Attorney who disappears in the face of the repellent greed and selfishness of his clients, the entire film, if you see it for no other reason, is remarkable for Dan Coplan's own astonishing and moving performance as the central character.

This stays with you long after you have watched the movie. An extraordinary achievement. Courageous, unstinting and totally honest. Also, as a lay person, you might just look upon the legal profession in a new light. The best of them should watch this movie. The worst of them should be made to watch it. Totally recommended. See it and feel it.