Even though there are of course tons of WW II movies out there already, this one still manages to stand out, also with is originality.
First off all, because it tells the story from a side we haven't seen really all that often yet in a WW II movie; from the side of the Slovaks. The Slovak Republic was a fascist state during WW II but I believe few people know this from their history classes or any books or documentaries. So it's good and refreshing to see a bit of an unknown side of WW II for a change.
But it's also quite refreshing and original in the way it approaches its subject. As weird as it might sound, this is a bit of a light hearted told movie, with some relieving comedy in it at times. A true tragicomedy of the greatest and most effective sort. It ensures that the movie is a 'pleasant' one to watch with its storytelling but at the same time it also doesn't let you forget you are watching a tragic holocaust movie here.
But the characters also work out refreshing. It's great to see things progressing from an old and senile Jewish lady's point of view, who's oblivious to all of the dangers and things occurring outside of her small shop.
It's truly a skilfully made and great looking movie. The movie perfectly captures the sense and atmosphere of a small average town, with everyday characters living in it. The black & white cinematography really adds a lot and the directing does a great job as well giving the movie lots of pace and to capture all of the emotions, from the view points of the main characters.
And the movie does truly has some great characters in it. The earlier mentioned old lady is great but so is the true main character of the movie, played by Jozef Króner. You don't really know were is loyalty truly lies and what he will do once things start to go truly bad. It makes his character, as the overall movie, also quite unpredictable.
I really liked the way the story was being told and constructed. This movie was a true pleasure to watch and the fact that its 'foreign', 'old' and in a 'strange language' really shouldn't scare people off. This is a great movie to watch for everybody and also of course about an historically important subject, that luckily doesn't get told too heavily but still not without making an impact as well.
8/10
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