Check out these trailers and reviews to see the film's Belle Époque style and Jannis Niewöhner's performance:
: Co-written by Daniel Kehlmann, the screenplay is noted for balancing humor with introspection. However, some audiences familiar with the book were divided by the film's significant deviations from the original plot.
Reviewers on community sites often highlight the film's "dream-like" quality and its success in making a classic story feel modern:

Lou S. Felipe, Ph.D. (she/they) is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she provides culturally responsive, trauma-focused psychotherapy. Her research examines the intersectional identity experiences of marginalization, particularly at the intersection of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality with a unique specialization in Pilipinx American psychology.