Half a year after the movie premiered in Cottbus, it got a wide release all throughout Germany. The director is Pepe Danquart, who won an Academy Short Film Award over 20 years ago. And even now, it has been almost 10 years between "Lauf Junge lauf" and his last non-documentary movie. I would not say that this movie had any moments of true greatness, but it was 2 entertaining hours at the theater. This is quite an achievement as there have been so many films taking place during the Nazi years or World War II and it is always nice to see one that comes up with a story that does not feel repetitive.
The little boy who played the main character did not have to act that much. the script was really written intelligently in a way, in which being there was enough in most situations to see him disappear in his role. Still he wasn't bad at all. Basically, all the supporting characters make this movie so interesting: the Nazi officers, those who help the boy (especially the woman who lives alone in the house), the doctors etc. Of course the kid being a Jew gives the film great significance, but it never felt like this was the key point here. The scenes, in which the boy interacts with different character rarely put any emphasis on that, and that made them so interesting.
the chase scenes worked well and I also liked the camera shots and cinematography (which got nominated at the German Film Awards). And rightfully so. It is very much responsible for all the scenes that have you on the edge of your seat. Let me emphasize though that this is no film for children, despite a child playing the main character. Here and there you find children's films that take place during World War II, but this is not one of them. There is one scene with a severed arm which is particularly brutal.
All in all, I'd recommend this movie. It features some of Poland most notable actors right now and maybe it can be a platform for one or two of them to have a bigger career in European movies outside their country. We'll see. Despite the dark times and heavy topic, the film occasionally manages to put a smile on your lips, which is always good as you don't want to be too depressed when the ending credits roll in. I always like when they manage to put in some comic relief, not too much though as otherwise it becomes a bit ridiculous, and they managed the right amount here.
The little boy who played the main character did not have to act that much. the script was really written intelligently in a way, in which being there was enough in most situations to see him disappear in his role. Still he wasn't bad at all. Basically, all the supporting characters make this movie so interesting: the Nazi officers, those who help the boy (especially the woman who lives alone in the house), the doctors etc. Of course the kid being a Jew gives the film great significance, but it never felt like this was the key point here. The scenes, in which the boy interacts with different character rarely put any emphasis on that, and that made them so interesting.
the chase scenes worked well and I also liked the camera shots and cinematography (which got nominated at the German Film Awards). And rightfully so. It is very much responsible for all the scenes that have you on the edge of your seat. Let me emphasize though that this is no film for children, despite a child playing the main character. Here and there you find children's films that take place during World War II, but this is not one of them. There is one scene with a severed arm which is particularly brutal.
All in all, I'd recommend this movie. It features some of Poland most notable actors right now and maybe it can be a platform for one or two of them to have a bigger career in European movies outside their country. We'll see. Despite the dark times and heavy topic, the film occasionally manages to put a smile on your lips, which is always good as you don't want to be too depressed when the ending credits roll in. I always like when they manage to put in some comic relief, not too much though as otherwise it becomes a bit ridiculous, and they managed the right amount here.