Friday 24 May
 
 

The Burning

It speaks to the strength of The Burning’s reputation among cult-film fans that what’s most memorable about the 1981 slasher is not that it was written by the Weinstein brothers, nor that it represents early appearances of the likes of Jason Alexander, Holly Hunter and Fisher Stevens. It’s that its Cropsy is just a damned good villain.
05/24/2013 | Comments 0

Dexter: The Seventh Season

There's no way to discuss the seventh and penultimate season of Showtime's hit Dexter without acknowledging how the previous year ended. Therefore, if you haven't finished the sixth season, stop reading now. You've got work to do.
05/21/2013 | Comments 0

Nightfall

As Simon Lam gets older, he gets better. The veteran actor has appeared in such in seminal HK action films of the 1990s as Once Upon a Time in China (opposite Jet Li) and Bullet in the Head (directed by John Woo); in the aughts, he graced audience and critical favorites Election and Ip Man.
05/20/2013 | Comments 0

Grand Duel

Lee Van Cleef enjoyed a secondary career in Italy cranking out spaghetti Westerns, with little regard to quality. However, 1972’s Grand Duel — aka The Big Showdown — is deserving of its Grand label. No wonder Quentin Tarantino borrowed its sweeping theme song by Luis Bacalov for Kill Bill; you'll recognize it in two notes.
05/20/2013 | Comments 0

The Last Stand

Early in The Last Stand, the small-town sheriff played by Arnold Schwarzenegger says, "It's my day off. Should be a quiet weekend." That's the new way of saying, "I've got one week to retirement," because it signals — with flashing neon and everything — that life is going to royally upend those plans.
05/17/2013 | Comments 0
Home · Articles · Movies · Drama · Winter in Wartime
Drama

Winter in Wartime


A tense, if not intense, drama-cum-thriller

Rod Lott May 4th, 2011  

Like 2008’s “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” the Dutch-born film “Winter in Wartime” is set in World War II, and explores what happens when a youth gets involved with the other side of the fence — here, figuratively.


In 1945, teenage Michiel (Martijn Lakemeier, in his acting debut) is intrigued by the Dutch Resistance movement to Nazi occupation going on almost literally in his own backyard. He rides his bike alongside marching, jackbooted soldiers as if it’s standard operating procedure for a child to do. But when a British plane crashes spectacularly in the forest, Michiel crosses the line from outside observer to active participant.

Investigating the site of the downed aircraft, he meets Jack (Jamie Campbell Bower, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”), its injured pilot, hiding and suffering. Perhaps because Jack is a mere few years older, Michiel befriends and aids the wounded soldier. At first, it’s just about bringing him food to stay alive. Later, it’s about plotting an escape before the German troops find him, which could result in both of their deaths.

Released in its native land in 2008, “Winter in Wartime” makes its Oklahoma debut Friday, playing exclusively at AMC Quail Springs Mall 24. Writer/director Martin Koolhoven’s movie was the Netherlands’ official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, although it failed to receive a nomination among the fated five.

It’s a tense, if not intense, drama-cum-thriller that’s not your average coming-of-age tale, as Michiel gets so far in over his head, shades of the current “Hanna” make a third-act appearance.

True to its title, “Winter” is most memorable for its look; the picture is bathed in blues so icy, viewers will feel its chill.

 
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
 
 

 

 
 
 
Close
Close
Close