As another poster remarked, this film has a strong 'storybook' feel to it, and it's no coincidence that it's based on a novel for (older) children. It's not a bad story and the settings do look authentic and some of the characters look believable. But ultimately this is just a boyhood story; the war and the whole plot only serve as backdrop for what the main character supposedly goes through. The problem is that what he 'goes through' is hard to empathize with because of the sloppy editing and acting. Oorlogswinter is mainly enjoyable for íts small town feel and settings, but there is just not enough realism in this film and it doesn't really grip the viewer like Zwartboek does - any comparison with that film is just ridiculous.
Review of Winter in Wartime
