[kerfwango]

<p>Watched that movie this weekend. Whoa - what a sleeper! Anyone else see it?? It's been out a while so I know I'm late to the party but....talk to me.</p>

 

[kerfwango]

<p>4 out of 5 stars.</p>

 

[Buxtehude]

<p>Liked it a lot. I'd say 3 to 3.5 stars.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Trying to remember stuff about it to talk about...</p>

 

[Tech Tee]

<p>You're right, it has been out a while.  Like two or three years. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anyway, I thought it was pretty darn good.  I'm a big fan of both Craig and Schreiber.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I had never heard this story, but it's quite amazing, the society they built, while on the run.  I'd like to think that the movie was pretty true and didn't have too much added drama for thematic reasons.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Regardless, it's a fascinating subject.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I liked it a lot.</p>

 

[Buxtehude]

<p>The dynamic between the two older brothers is interesting. Liev Schreiber is more idealogically driven and mostly wants to kill Nazis while Daniel Craig is more concerned with the day-to-day care of the people.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It could've been a much better movie. But then, I feel that way about all movies directed by Ed Zwick: Legends of the Fall, Courage Under Fire.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ultimately, unsatisfying.</p>

 

[Buxtehude]

<p>I mean, Zwick was the guy who did that Thirtysomething tv series.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Okay, here's what I think: He has a tv producer/director way of doing things. His stuff is fine for tv but not for big-screen movies.</p>

 

[kerfwango]

<p>I did think it had a little bit of a soap-opera feel to it, with the interwoven romantic story lines and it seemed to jump from one scene to the next without adequately building up the enormous challenges they would face, such as the approaching misery of winter. It just sort of went - SNAP - winter's here and it sucks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Overall, though, the relationship to its historical context was very compelling and the acting was superb. Great casting. I'd never heard of the Bielski's, either, and it makes me think about the millions of other individual stories of suffering and survival that so many people went through during upheavals such as WWII. Lots of lessons in there about group behavior, politics, self-reliance, etc.</p>