User Reviews

I have read Anne Holm's I am David dozens of times since I first stumbled upon it as a 12 year old. It has been one of those novels that have remained with me, not just the pages, not just the story, but the way it has moved me and guided many of my decisions in life. I personally empathised with David, having been an abused child and when at 13 I became a state ward, the impossibility of trusting others to care for me were mirrored in David's own situation. This just to demonstrate how significant this work has been in my own development and connected I am with David's story.

When I heard there was a film made of this story, I was suspicious that it could not hope to reach the depths of the novel, particularly as one of the fundamental points of the novel had been changed and primarily because much of the 'action' in the novel occurs inside David's mind.

The film is significantly different to the novel in a few key details and yet it has managed to capture the essential soul of the novel, something I applaud and profoundly appreciate. Whilst the means of achieving the result is different, I was still left, as I always am when I read the story, with a deep sense of truth and love winning out over darkness and hatred. I was moved to tears once again and for all the same reasons and for that I would just like to say thank you to those involved.

I could not recommend this novel or film more deeply, particularly to those who's lives have been controlled by others who don't have their best interests at heart and who feel unable to regain control themselves. This above all things is a tribute to the ability of one who has no control and no idea how to gain control of their own lives succeeding in just that, without use of force, without manipulation or dishonesty, but simply with conviction that the goal must be achieved for whatever reason, because to not achieve it is to invite death and darkness upon yourself and upon all you touch in your life.

Greetings again from the darkness. A very touching, heartfelt film without the Hollywood gloss, "I Am David" takes us on a journey of hope and discovery. We get to experience the world through the eyes of a first timer. Ben Tibber (a child actor well-schooled at the Tiny Tim role) follows the advice he is given prior to his escape from concentration camp as his journey takes him throughout Europe. While in the camp, David befriends Jim Caviezel ("The Passion of the Christ" and the upcoming Bobby Jones biopic). Caviezil's courageous death sets in motion the plan to allow for David's escape. Tibber's expressive eyes and the breathtaking countryside scenery carry the film until Joan Plowright explodes on the screen. The movie really gains spirit at this point, but regrettably, this is also where it appears the producers ran out of money. The last 10 minutes of the film are harried and rushed with little dialogue. The result is a wonderful ending spoiled. Still, the film is a delight to watch and will tug at your heartstrings as you admire and pull for David to complete his journey. Couldn't help but notice that at the concentration camp, The Man is played by Bulgarian actor Hristo Shopov, who also played (to a chilling effect) Pontius Pilate is "The Passion of the Christ".

Europe is one of the most complicated places on Earth. There are good countries and there are some bad ones. Set in one notorious police state, is Anne Holm's touching story called " I am David. " He is a Dutch boy (Ben Tibbler) who's parents were arrested and imprisoned when he was too young to remember why. At the age of twelve he is befriended by Johannes (James Caviezel) a fellow prisoner who mentors' the boy in the enduring nature of man as he is growing up amid the cruel, barbarous, atmosphere of a harsh Bulgarian Prison camp. Thereafter he is instructed by 'the man' (Hristo Shopov) who is a sympathetic officer risking all to help the boy. With a knapsack containing a few essentials, the boy narrowly escapes and begins a harrowing thousand mile trek towards his homeland in Denmark. During the arduous journey, the boy reflects on the horrendous treatment he and the other prisoners suffered at the hands of guards. Then too, he slowly realizes the open kindness of others as he makes his way across Europe. Eventually, he meets Sophie (Joan Plowright) a lonely swiss woman who discovers who the boy really is and helps to send him home, but not before allowing her to find a bit of solace in his eyes. The film is a wonderful college of dark images, illuminated by the bright rays of hope and panoramic scenery. Easilly recommended as a movie dedicated to the spiritual humanity of all good people. ****

Pay close attention to young Ben Tibber, who portrays the central character of this film, I Am David. All throughout the film, the mood of the scene is defined just by the expression on his face, especially his eyes, and he can change it in an instant. I watched this young actor in total amazement. We follow David on his solo journey of escape from a brutal communist labor camp to a land very vague in his mind, Denmark. There are many beautiful scenes of colorful villages and towns, fields of sunflowers and sweeping vistas of the hills and valleys that we share with David, in sharp contrast to the horrifying memories of life in the labor camp, that haunts him. Those that helped him escape gave him one primary rule: don't trust anyone! As David travels along the roads to his destiny he meets many characters along the way and we wonder, will he, or should he, trust this person? As the viewer, we desperately want somebody to comfort and assist this wonderful boy. The veteran actress, Joan Plowright, splendidly portrays one of those characters that David encounters; but can he confide in her to help him on his way? The director and screenwriter, Paul Feig, doesn't rush the story, although it does move very quickly at the end. Mostly, he lets us observe David as the boy wisely and carefully analyzes each situation as it develops. The end of the film wraps up nicely with a very surprising and interesting revelation of the storyline. I watched this film at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis and had great expectations upon going in to see it. I was not disappointed. I Am David, is an outstanding film.

Well I loved the movie,I taught it was touching,the acting was great, The music was apropriate.Ben Tibber was good but I think it was because he was well cast more than his acting,I have watched him in "A Christmas Carol" and in various interview and he seems to be like David in real life,the same expression and all,his perfect for the part of David.Jim caviezel was good but wasn't much in the film,he was David mentor and you see him in a couple of flashback,they put him on the poster for the film because they needed a bit of star power to bring people in I think.Joan Plowright was great but I don't feel we knew everything about her character at the end of the film. And that brings me to what I didn't like about the film,it feels unfinished,for an hour and a half you follow David journey hoping for a big beautiful,touching ending what you get is.....A MUSIC VIDEO.It's like the director spent too much time on the rest of the film that he had to give us a quick ending.I'm sorry but that did spoil the movie for me,the end was the most important part of the story and it was rushed,it was done in such a way that it wasn't moving at all,the modern song was too distracting,it just didn't go with the rest of the film.Such a shame if it wasn't for the ending I'm sure I would have given this film a 9 out of 10. Well,good film wasted by a rushed ending. 6 out of 10

Loved the Movie! One of the most faithful renditions of a book to screen....gripping adventure....wonderful scenery, great characters, heartfelt acting, both funny and sad at the same time. Beautiful Photography, many of the scenes would be great standalone still photos. Felt like I went on vacation in Europe watching this picture. About time we have a movie without gratuitous sex and violence, and a break from reality programming, that has come to the point of offering live, real-time war as an option. Am surprised that many of the professional reviews seem to have been written by people with no background for this type of movie, and just don't get it. Waiting to see more from this director, Paul Feig.

This movie is about childish innocence discovering the world. We start with a little boy escaping from a labor camp with the sole intention to go to Denmark. After that he meets good and bad people, he walks the maze of the world in order to reach his destination. So far so good.

However, this child has lived almost his entire life inside a labor camp. Movies about people being so nice after living in a place of desperation and organized sadism cannot feel real to me. After that he meets a lot of people, but all of them treat him as they would trust him implicitly. Maybe people were like that in 1952, but they certainly aren't like that now.

I liked how the kid played the main role. He has an acting future, I am sure of it. I kinda disliked Jim Cavieziel being the poster face for this movie, considering he plays only a few scenes in it.

It was a nice movie, but I felt it lacked realism. The happy ending would have been more satisfying if it weren't so rushed.

Overall, it is a cross between La Vitta e Bella and... Harry Potter I guess. Or the Sixth Sense :) Nice to be watched with the wife or girlfriend. A tad long, though.

There's just so much to say about "I am David" that I feel like I can't get it all in. From the directing, to the script; from the photography to the acting... it all just works.

This movie is a breath of fresh air from the Hollywood machine that churns out lifeless epics, tasteless comedies, and meaningless dramas in the name of money. "I Am David" aims not to collect big at the box office, but to convey passion and art through cinema.

It follows the escape of a young boy named David from a concentration camp during the Bulgarian War. Carrying only a small satchel with a mysterious envelope and a few other items, David sets across the countryside to reach Denmark. He doesn't know (and neither do we until the end) why he's going to Denmark or what's in the envelope; he's just doing as instructed by a mentor at the concentration camp.

The characters in the film are phenomenal. Jim Caviezel's character is surprisingly absent for most of the film; but nevertheless is an integral part of the story. (I have yet to see him in a role that I didn't like.) I don't think you could draw up a more perfect child actor for the role of David than Ben Tibber. His performance in this movie is Oscar-worthy to me. And Joan Plowright (you'll recognize her from "Dennis the Menace") is verrrrry convincing in her role. Director Paul Feig has a cameo in the movie.

The soundtrack and colors work wonders; taking your breath away with each shot. The Damien Rice piece at the end is very heartfelt and true to the movie as well. The limited dialogue makes the characters seem simple, yet true to life.

Without giving too much away, I highly recommend this movie to EVERYONE. It's charming, funny, sad, and inspirational. Most movies these days have no redeeming value whatsoever, but with "David" this is not the case. It saddens me that Americans would prefer the rehashed, regurgitated crap of Hollywood over this brilliant work of art. I'm not familiar with Feig's work, but following this movie, I'm going to be sure to check out other works by him.

Please watch this one. It's a real winner.

A story like this should not have problems with suspension of disbelief. The idea that, in spite of a 12-year-old boy "living all his life" in a Soviet forced labor camp being able to escape, even with help, into Mediterranean Europe where he is able to interact in no less than four languages, walk hundreds of miles for days without food, escape police multiple times, et cetera, is a little hard to take. Particularly when most of the time he remains looking in better condition than the average mall rat. Further, most everyone he meets is living an upper-middle-class affluent lifestyle in dwellings that look up to date by 2006 standards.

The thing is they made a good enough movie of it that a lot of this doesn't matter. You do end up getting drawn in enough to care about David, and what happens to him, even though he is implausible. The actors are good and put in an honest days work, and that saves it. It is more up to you as to whether you feel let down at the end.

This movie insulting one of the most tolerant nations in the world - Bulgaria. My country during the WW2 is part of German Alliance, but she managed to save your Israelite. After coup d'etat by the communist she joins the Allies and fight against the Germans... In 50s we are part of Warsaw Treaty but we are not part of the Soviet Union. Belene Prison Camp is created for the most dangerous enemies of the republic (and inconvenient for the communist party people) but never for children. It's the most difficult for escape prison on the Balkans. It's recorded only two escapes in 70-80s. In the movie the camp looks like Germans concentration camp!? Nobody in Belene wasn't shot for soap... Obviously the entire movie is filmed in Bulgaria. Italy is Baltchik, in Switzerland have orthodoxes church... The boy managed to survive 3 weeks with chunk of bread. He managed to cross one of the most guarded borders in Europe - Bulgarian - Greece. First, after the boy is seen by the guards immediately is send operative group to capture him. The border is not only one fence, it separate on two sectors upper and downer(the actually border) on the upper has guards with dogs and fence with wires which on contact immediately signals in guard station, after the fence have 3km mine field. Crossing the border is impossible the guards shoot on sight...

P.S. Sorry for the bad English.

This movie speaks to the purest parts of the soul, beckoning the viewer to take not just a journey with David, but to the innermost parts of themselves.

If you know someone who is crying out to be heard and understood, someone desperately seeking a safe person to reach out to but doesn't know how to take that first step.....encourage them to go on a journey with this young boy through a harrowing physical and emotional journey of his life.

This movie touched me in a way that very few have. In fact, it moved me so much I had to tell many friends and family members and they too agreed...it is a beautiful story to watch and celebrate. Some have emailed me the day after and said...."We were up late at night with our son...clapping and crying during the final scenes." To the cast and crew of this film....thanks for using your talents to warm our hearts and help us believe again in the good hearts of those around us.

This movie was sort of confusing.... I thought it was during the Holocaust, but reading the blurb on IMDb afterwords I learned that it wasn't... it was from after. But overall, it was pretty good.

I thought that the plot was engrossing and easy to follow, and it was interesting to watch David go through the world and people not noticing he was Jewish. As a Jew with Holocaust survivor grandparents, it was very interesting to see this movie and see what people went through.

I would strongly recommend this movie to ANYONE, especially people who are Jewish, anyone interested in history, or anyone who wants to see more about the world.

mike

HOLES HOLES HOLES. This is like some high school movie that was done as an assignment not for the sake of telling a moving story. The story is, however, not moving at all because the main actor (and granted he's like seven) has one emotion, confused! One facial expression throughout the movie.

Somehow he speaks fluent Italian, German, and English just from having exposure to other speakers in his labor camp that spoke those languages. Nevermind he's seven. Somehow, no one cares that he's traveling by himself to foreign countries but ask, "would your parents mind if I take you to lunch only a few hundred miles away in another country?" "My parents are not with me," he wryly replies. "Oh, great, that's no problem at all then." Not, "what do you mean your parents are not here and your a homeless seven year old." He probably gets away with it, because not only does he speak 4 other languages fluently but without so much as an accent.

The supporting actors come and go despite having, what seems to be an important influence on the kid. Music is inappropriate....IT'S JUST BAD! AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS!

Few movies make me so angry that I would actually write a review warning other not to see it. I can't believe this got so many 10s. UGH!

Poor Jim Cav.

In a day when few films are wholesome or uplifting, this film was a breath of fresh air. All those who have made negative remarks about Ben Tibber's performance - it is clear you have never met anyone from Bulgaria. His stoic and serious role was accurate and well done.

As I did not know anything about this movie when I watched it, it seemed slow and at times frustrating. However, I am extremely glad I watched the entire film, as the message of this film is outstanding.

It is unfortunate that many have forgotten that films can be educational as well as entertaining, and uplifting as well as meaningful. Children and adults alike can learn history through films such as I Am David, as they experience stories they may have forever been ignorant of if not for the makers of this film.

The movie came to me as a surprise, I did not expect it to be that good. The movie is about a boy who managed to escape from a concentration camp and instructed to travel Denmark. On the way, he met different people and learn to trust.

There are good and bad people in the world. Because of bad people, we should not be wasting our lives thinking about them. We should move on and let people in.

I loved the kid's acting, it's simple and engaging.

It is sad to see sorrow in the eyes of children. This is a story for any age group, the innocence of a child, the love of an older woman and the kindness of strangers. This movie moved me and made a broader statement about us as humans. I would encourage everyone to watch it. It is a story of strength and struggle and the kindness of strangers. It is about finding refuge in the darkest of places. I was so moved and cried but this is not a tear fest it is a story of hope and the colors and imagery are beautiful. The words are poignant and the sentiments are heart reaching I cannot put it into words you must see this film. The music the lines all are crafted to leave you feeling resolved at the end of the movie you are not at all left hanging. The movie appeals to any persons humanitarian side. Is there a soundtrack? I really loved the music Rice's song is captivating and appropraite for the ending.

Escaping a concentration camp in 1952 Bulgaria, a cynical boy (Ben Tibber) stows away to Italy, traveling the peninsula to Switzerland on his way to Denmark. Will he find liberty and love or more distrust and hatred? Jim Caviezel plays a prisoner at the camp while Joan Plowright is on hand as a warm elderly woman.

Based on Anne Holm's novel "North to Freedom," "I Am David" (2003) is an indie drama/adventure by Paul Feig (writer/director). The movie effectively reminds us that there was an Iron Curtain from 1945-1989 and that crimes against humanity were pretty much business-as-usual for Communistic governments in USSR and Eastern Bloc countries.

The tone is realistic and low-key with a balance of cruelty, mundaneness, tenderness and amusement. Don't expect earth-shattering events. The human potential for ugliness & atrocities or beauty & goodwill is explored. There are stereotypes but so what? Stereotypes are stereotypes for good reason (they're often TRUE). This is a testimony to those who escaped to freedom or died trying. It's relatively moving, but in a subdued way.

The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in Bulgaria.

GRADE: B-/B

In 1952, the polyglot twelve year-old David (Ben Tibber), who was raised in the Communist Belene Prison Camp in Bulgaria, witnesses the death of his friend and protector Johannes (Jim Caviezel) and escapes from the concentration camp in the night. He is advised to mistrust everybody and together with a piece of bread, a compass, a piece of soap, a jackknife and a sealed envelope to be delivered in Denmark, he travels though Greece and Italy heading North. Along his journey, David discovers the beauty of the world and slowly he changes his behavior with people. When he meets Sophie (Joan Plowright), an old lady that lives in Switzerland and likes to paint as hobby, she asks David to paint his face; later she invites David to have lunch with her in her house, and David finally discloses his quest to her.

"I Am David" is a magnificent journey to the goodness of people. The expressive Ben Tibber has a stunning performance in the role of the boy David, who was raised confined in a concentration camp and surrounded by cruelties, that begins to smile and trust people along his travel through Europe. It is amazing how this young actor is able to transmit these sensations and emotions through his face and eyes. Joan Plowright performs a wise old woman that teaches David that most of the people are good and opens his heart. The direction, performances, cinematography, locations, pace, message etc., everything works perfectly in this great movie. Last but not the least, the conclusion is heartbreaking. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

I loved this movie. The soundtrack was awesome, and the boy who played David is a very engaging actor. He is so convincing as a child who has never known anything but brutality, suddenly finding himself in the free world, and learning to relate to people who are normal.

Joan Plowright is one of my favorite actresses, and as always, she was a joy to watch in this story.

It really is too bad that more movies of this caliber are not made more often. I am not really a person who can sit still for most movies. It took my daughter five days to rope me into watching this one, but in the end, I was really glad she did. Since we were watching the DVD, we were able to see the deleted scenes - they were as good as the movie itself and I couldn't understand why they were taken out. I wouldn't mind owning it this flick.

I also would love to own the soundtrack.

The last portion of this film, with tender scenes between JOAN PLOWBRIGHT and BEN TIBBER, reminds me of a similar survival theme from '48's THE SEARCH, where the boy has to learn to trust adults again after brutal wartime separation from his mother. Ben Tibber's sensitive portrait of the boy and Joan Plowbright's equally moving portrayal of the motherly artist who takes him in, are the best things about I AM David.

Before that, the story plods along at the beginning with a labor camp sequence where the boy is being given instructions by a man on how to escape and deliver a certain document to Denmark. Flashbacks during the course of the film fill us in on the harrowing events in the labor camp that led to the boy's desire to escape. His friend, Johannes (JAMES CAVIEZEL), it turns out, is a brave man who sacrifices his life for the boy, David.

David keeps one step ahead of the authorities as he manages to escape, survives with what little money he has, rescues a young girl from playmates who tied her up in a burning barn and ends up for awhile enjoying family life in the Italian countryside. But all the while, he's hearing the warning voice of a man telling him: "Don't trust anyone." And he doesn't.

He's not even sure of Sophie (JOAN PLOWBRIGHT) who takes him under her wing, a good-hearted woman whose young son died and assumes a motherly relationship with David. Their scenes together in the countryside are the most touching and believable moments in the whole story and lead towards a happy ending for the boy, who is reunited with his mother for the rather abrupt finale.

The film's biggest assets are the natural performance of BEN TIBBER in the central role and the gorgeous color photography in natural outdoor settings.

It was like a Disney movie, without the animal; it could have been so much more.

He was wandering and running, never got hungry and kept going. Soundtrack told the story.

For me it was never grounded until Joan Plowright arrived...by paying attention to detail and this boy discovering a world he'd never known it would have made it more powerful. it's not a bad movie, but plays like a CBS movie of the week.

The characters were, in the main, one dimensional, and could have been developed easily with more care.