Movie Review #2865 LABYRINTH OF LIES. Avoiding my usual fare of no-thought-required Friday night movies at Palmy's Downtown Cinema, I took in this German film based on the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials in the 60s. Faced with a hierarchy full of hiding Nazis, a young public prosecutor embarks upon the task of building a case against former personnel from the Auschwitz concentration camp. Finding a Germany that would rather forget than deliver justice coupled with the aforementioned hierarchy, he has to negotiate his way through the mire of intrigue & with the help of a local journalist amongst others, finds the Auschwitz Angel of Death Josef Mengele in his sights. Narrowly missing his target on a return visit home, the pursuit turns to obsession & threatens everything he holds dear; fiancée, mother, friends & associates, culminating in his driving himself to brink of despair. However somewhat predictably, he does regroup & the movie comes to a conclusion at the outset of the trials. Well crafted & acted, L of L hones in on Nazi atrocities but avoids the shock factor of graphic representation & instead satisfies itself with the human reactions to such events. It also throws in a dollop of vulnerability around the main character as he has to face the secrets emanating from his own family & circle of friends. Nicely done overall & like many European productions, plays out rather matter of factly & without too much over-dramatisation. 7.5/10
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Geoff HorneI'm a movie nut from way back with my first ever being The Hallelujah Trail from 1964. Ever since being mesmerized by the giant screen, the darkness that went on forever & the infernally uncomfortable seats + having to stand for God Save the Queen, I've been enticed ever since to duck into a theatre whenever I can for a few hours of escapism. My favourite movie of all time is Schindler's List, one of only two movies I've ever cried in (the other was Bambi when I was 6!) & I'm a sucker for a damn good comedy; Dumb & Dumber, The Hangover & Death at a Funeral stand out. I'm also a musician and work in IT. I have 4 grandchildren who also seem to enjoy their movie excursions with grandad. I can be reached at geoff@nztester.co.nz. Archives
November 2020
Categories |