A Holocaust movie set in that interesting immediate post-war period when there were DP camps and German Jews trying to get out of Germany. The central situation is compelling, and the acting is good, but there are many plot devices that were poorly thought out or cliché. You never really know whether the comedian was telling the truth about what he did during the war, and that's O.K.

Just substitute Syria or Somalia for Germany and suddenly Garbarski's tale of broken people trying to pick themselves up off the mat speaks with immediacy and urgency.

Bye Bye Germany [is] a movie that pulls off the near-impossible hat trick of combining light comedy, romance and the Holocaust.

It meanders sometimes, and some of its jokes are almost certainly funnier in the original language. But it is rare to see comedy entertainment this ambitious, or keenly aware of history. That Garbarski pulls it off is an achievement unto itself.

Garbarski digs into an important moment in history, isolating unexpected emotions and defense mechanisms.

The dodges of the salesmen, who are selling to Germans who previously ignored their extermination, suggests Barry Levinson's Tin Men, and there's a dyspeptic comic lining to how these men focus on business.

Being a story of con men and the unreliability of memory, it's also the best German-language film Joel and Ethan Coen never made.

"Bye Bye Germany," a refreshingly original, unpredictable tale about Jews trying to scam their way out of postwar Europe, is part caper, part Holocaust drama, part buddy movie, part romance, and part melancholic comedy.

Bittersweet and picaresque, it's not your usual Holocaust-inspired drama.

Though the film might ultimately be a little too neat, that shortcoming is made up for by the core performances.

Focuses on Moritz Bleibtrue's humorous and often poignant performance as a survivor.

Not your typical Holocaust-inspired drama.

As a pretty American Jewish lawyer investigates, the tale turns dark - but never hopeless.

Grappling with the hurtful past while finding pleasures in the present always remains a bittersweet affair.

Interesting and elegant reflection on the limits of home and humor. [Full review in Spanish]