Wow, those have some strong story lines too (haven't seen Sarah's Key). But I know what you mean, I only have a vague recollection of them and yet I'd give them 4 stars too.
Powerful drama from France that follows an American journalist trying to track the Jewish inhabitants of the apartment she just bought with her family in France. The film splits in two timelines, one with the journalist (played by Kristin Scott Thomas) as she gets obsessed with finding what happened to the Starzynski's, while dealing with her own family issues; meanwhile the other timeline follows what happened to the Starzynski's upon their capture during World War II in 1942. The focus is mostly on young Sarah, who wants to get back to their home because she left her little brother locked in a closet to protect him from the authorities.
Overall, the film is neatly done, well acted, and well directed. The girl that plays the young Sarah (Mélusine Mayance) was a standout for me. Most of the first hour of the film follows the 1942 timeline, and is driven by Sarah's attempt to escape from camp and reach her home to unlock her little brother (hence the title of the film). However, and this might seem like a slight once we find out what happened (which is close to the 1-hour mark) the movie loses some steam, focusing more on the 2009 timeline, with the journalist and her own family problems. But still, one becomes ensnared in her obsession to find out what happened to this girl after the war. In a way, it reminded me a bit of Fincher's Zodiac, in how we become as obsessed with an event as the lead character. As for the final payoff, well, I'm not sure it was as powerful as what we saw in the first hour.
Still, a fine film, and very well done. Grade: Probably a high B+, or maybe even a low A-
Overall, the film is neatly done, well acted, and well directed. The girl that plays the young Sarah (Mélusine Mayance) was a standout for me. Most of the first hour of the film follows the 1942 timeline, and is driven by Sarah's attempt to escape from camp and reach her home to unlock her little brother (hence the title of the film). However, and this might seem like a slight once we find out what happened (which is close to the 1-hour mark) the movie loses some steam, focusing more on the 2009 timeline, with the journalist and her own family problems. But still, one becomes ensnared in her obsession to find out what happened to this girl after the war. In a way, it reminded me a bit of Fincher's Zodiac, in how we become as obsessed with an event as the lead character. As for the final payoff, well, I'm not sure it was as powerful as what we saw in the first hour.
Still, a fine film, and very well done. Grade: Probably a high B+, or maybe even a low A-
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