by Annette Basile
Worth: $14.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Sophie Nélisse, Dougray Scott, Andrzej Seweryn, Maciej Nawrocki, Sharon Azrieli
Intro:
… imperfect yet involving …
Poland, 1930. “This will be our last transmission,” says a crackly voice over the radio. “Today, German forces entered Warsaw.”
It’s a chilling opening to the true story of Irena Gut Opdyke (Sophie Nélisse), who – incredibly – hid 12 Jews in the cellar of a sprawling Warsaw mansion where she was the unwilling housekeeper for Nazi officer Major Eduard Rügmer (Dougray Scott).
The dynamics between Irena and Rügmer are interesting, and Nélisse (Yellowjackets) is luminous as the young Polish woman trying to navigate World War II all alone. Immersed in her role, Nélisse is wholly convincing as the resourceful, clever Irena, her anxiety always there under the surface. Scott, with his fake German accent, has seen better days.
A Polish-Canadian co-production, everyone speaks English with all-purpose Euro accents – except in a few brief scenes, where – inexplicably – German soldiers speak in their native tongue. It’s jarring and the fake accents and language break-outs detract from the film’s authenticity, which is otherwise impeccable in its period detail and ambiance.
There are two utterly harrowing scenes involving Nazi brutality and, despite the workmanlike script, there’s palpable tension and you’re on the edge of your seat, fearing the desperate souls in the cellar will soon be discovered.
Based on the stage play of the same name, which in turn is based on Gut Opdyke’s memoir In My Hands, the film is heavily focused on Irena and Rügmer, while the 12 in the cellar are almost treated as a block.
Meanwhile, Polish actor Maciej Nawrocki, in one of the more prominent supporting roles, is a cartoonish Nazi (Scott’s Rügmer is more nuanced and real in comparison) and yet, Nawrocki is central to the aforementioned harrowing scenes.
Director Louise Archambault has honed in on the main characters and seems unconcerned with everyone else. This is not an essential Holocaust film, but the key question is – does the film move you? The answer is yes. Irena’s Vow is imperfect yet involving cinema.
