Incredible... sehr schön

Rating: 9/10 (21 October 2007)

...rented this on a whim, and was stunned by Carice van Houten's extraordinary performance. Her sensual, multi-lingual ease and the fact she actually did her own singing makes the film all the more incredible (her vocals are, hands down, better than many of today's bland, blonde, lip-syncing pop stars). She may not know it yet, but this film will catapult her into a rarefied acting atmosphere. There have only been a handful of occasions I've seen a lesser known actress on the rise and said to myself "She will be the next mega star": Nicole Kidman (Dead Calm), Natalie Portman (The Professional/Leon), and Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth..'98). She will most assuredly eclipse Mr. Cruise in Valkyrie.
I did not give this a 10/10 because it's not quite as emotionally evocative or heart-wrenching as Shindler's List. It is, however, a masterful, thoughtful, epic, and sehr schön cinematic work. Well done, Mr. Verhoeven.