Reviewer's grade: A+

This year's Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, "The Counterfeiters" sheds light on one of the countless shadowy Nazi programs that exploited the genius of imprisoned Jews during World War II.

The film centers around Salomon Sorowitsch  (Karl Markovics), a particularly talented artist whose knack for forging documents earned him a leading role in "Operation Bernhard," the Nazi's clandestine, prisoner-led program to destabilize the British economy with forged bank notes. "The Counterfeiters" is exciting, harrowing and grimly beautiful.

Director Stefan Ruzowitzky (" Anatomy") does a masterful job of focusing in on fleeting moments of happiness in the faces of the Jewish prisoners amid their situation and makes wonderful use of drab colors and shadows to frame action. is wonderfully scripted, acted and filmed, and will long live as a cinematic authenticity. R

"?Joe Wertz

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