Jakob, der Lügner (Jacob the Liar) is based on a book by a Polish-born writer who as a child lived for two years at the Łódź ghetto, where the movie takes place. His mother, like much of the population of the ghetto, later died in the Holocaust.

The movie focuses on Jacob, who happens to hear from the radio of the guards that the Russian army is only 20 kilometers from a nearby town. As a white lie he claims to his friend that he heard that from his own radio. The rumor spreads quickly, and Jacob gets deeper and deeper into the web of his own lies. He's too embarrassed to reveal the truth, but also likes giving his fellow sufferers hope.

The greatest strength of the movie is how it makes use of the setting. Life in the ghetto is but a step away from that on a concentration camp, and a small drama can become a great one in such situation. This is also why Manuela's character Lina, an orphan who Jacob takes care of, is gripping. She's too young to understand much of the true grimness of the situation, and has a consistently positive and happy outlook on everything. When Jacob tells her he's soon being transported into some unknown destination, she gets excited and happy, thinking of some fun travel and a change of scenery.

That Manuela wears a smile even in situations where no real person would is distractingly strange. I'm sure she could have done better if the director had put real effort into her role. On the other hand, her happy scenes, which most of her medium-large role consists of, work very well. She's very pretty and certain to get your sympathies. She delivers her lines perfectly credibly, and it's easy to buy that the character naturally wears a hint of smile at all times.