Interesting and Entertaining

Rating: 7/10 (4 May 2009)

At the height of WW2, four Jewish brothers (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell and George MacKay) and hide deep in the Belarussian forest to evade the Nazis that have murdered their parents and countless others. Other persecuted Jews join them in their struggle to keep their freedom and fight against Nazism. This is the basic premise of 'Defiance', an interesting, entertaining movie that, while too long, is alternately action-packed and quietly moving. It's primarily about their struggle for freedom, but its also a study of the relationships between brothers and group dynamics. Craig of course is a sturdy leading man, even if he doesn't quite convince at times in his role. I thought Liev Schreiber outdid 007 himself in the 'he-man' role-- once Schreiber gets the machine gun in his hands, you know they're going to be safe. Jamie Bell also looks to have a promising future. The main problem with the film is it's weak pacing and often sluggish writing. Craig's inspiring speeches feel very written and the film just ebbs along at times without anything happening. The female love interests are very underwritten. However, the performances across the board are good and the cinematography (beautiful winter scenes) and score are excellent.