WWII mystery/thriller

Rating: 9/10 (6 January 2008)

Head and shoulders above typical Hollywood fare. The photography was excellent, the plot was surprising, and the acting seemed very good. I was impressed that the subtitles seemed so transparent...so much so that I find it difficult to recall that the dialog was not in English rather than German/Dutch/Hebrew (although some of the dialog was in English). Black Book could be compared to other recent WWII films: Sophie, the Pianist, and Head in the Clouds. Of the 4, Sophie and the Pianist have to rate 10's both for the high quality of the films, and also for the consummate nobility of their (true life) characters. There was some concern about historical inaccuracies in the film; I've got a huge WWII and holocaust library and nothing seemed out of place to me. Carice van Houten was absolutely luminous (and she can sing!) which may not be among Charlize Theron's talents. Definitely worth a rent.