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LifeShift

Michael Kott

8.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

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Was Zeus a Greek God or merely a space explorer? Following his mission to bring civilization to...

young-adult

Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Zookeeper's Wife (2017) in Movies

Nov 24, 2017 (Updated Nov 24, 2017)

Story is harrowing and essential but film could have been made better

As a massive fan of biopics, The Zookeeper's Wife is an incredibly important tale of a the real life Polish couple who sheltered Jews in their zoo during the Second World War, helping 300 people to escape from Warsaw.

Dr. Jan Zabinski was the director of the Warsaw Zoo in the 1930's, and along with his wife Antonina and young son, they ensured the safety and care of animals in the area. Their life came to an abrupt halt with the German invasion of Poland in 1939, when most of their animals and structures were destroyed in the bombings and siege of the city. The zoo was closed under German occupation, but the Zabinskis continued to occupy the villa, and the zoo itself was used first as a pig farm and subsequently as a fur farm. All the while, Dr Zabinski smuggled Jewish people out of the Warsaw Ghetto and aided their way out of city, not before allowing them to stay in their own house. He was injured while fighting in the Polish resistance, but the couple were given an honorary title by Yad Vashem (Israel's official memorial for Jewish victims of the Holocaust) for their brave efforts.

Similar in the vein of films such as @Schindler's List (1993), there is an element of a saviour complex in these films, but unlike Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winner, it is less extravagant and less well-made, as there was very little engagement with the Jewish characters - focusing more on Antonina, played by Jessica Chastain. It is definitely heart-wrenching watching films based on the holocaust, and there were scenes I had to turn away from, such as when an elderly woman and her mother were shot dead in the streets by soldiers. The script and cinematography weren't at a high standard, however, and as a result the film definitely fell short. I would suggest reading the book @The Zookeeper's Wife - it has far more detail than the film, in which there were glaringly obvious plot holes.

Kudos

James P. Sumner (65 KP) rated Men in Black International (2019) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019

Not quite a noisy cricket.

I saw this film with an open mind, figuring (as is sadly the case more and more nowadays) I had seen the best parts of the movie in the trailers. I had seen other reviews which had been overwhelmingly negative. I wasn't expecting much, but it was two hours away from the world, so what the hell.

Definitely not the best film I've ever seen, but surprisingly far from the worst.

The plot is simple enough - there's a mole within MiB that's trying to start a war between a long-forgotten enemy and another race of aliens, which will ultimately endanger the earth. Nothing we haven't seen before.

But it's actually pretty good fun. The chemistry between the two leads (Thor and Valkyrie!) is a joy to watch, and if nothing else, this movie serves to reiterate what we first found out in the "Ghostbusters" remake - Chris Hemsworth is hilarious! His comedic timing is brilliant, and he's a genuinely funny guy which shines in the right role (see "Thor: Ragnarok").

Sadly, I guessed the *big twist* from watching the trailers. Figured it was obvious, as we've all seen this type of film/story before. And if I could figure it out, most other people probably can, too. As the film entered its third act, I found myself hoping my prediction was wrong, just to inject a little more life into the experience, but nope... nailed it.

Whilst there are subtle nods to the original films, they aren't required viewing ahead of watching this. A cross between a sequel and a reboot, it stands well on its own merits.

I think with a film like this, you're never going to get an "Avatar" or a "Shawshank Redemption" experience. Not that this is bad, per se, but because the level of potential quality will always be limited by its content and genre. Same way an "Expendables" movie would never win an Oscar. I think they're brilliant, but they are what they are and nothing more. Same here. It's not a bad film. It's not a great film. It's just a film. Would I have paid to see it in hindsight? Perhaps not. But definitely catch it when it's on Netflix.