Fantastic movie

Rating: 10/10 (2 January 2010)

I'd heard of the Bielski brothers after watching 'Who Do You Think You Are?' which is a British TV programme in which celebrities trace their family tree. The Bielskis saved the ancestors of one of them, so when I saw there was a movie to be made about them I was very interested.
Craig and Schrieber put in stunning performances in the lead roles. I have to say though that for once I cannot pick any single actor out as a weak performer. This movie has wall to wall quality. They may not all be household names but they stood well besides the two main stars.
The cinematography has just the right tonal quality to be gritty and atmospheric. It's not all bright colours and crystal clear and this draws you even more into the world of Nazi occupied Belorussia. The camera angles and framing all work perfectly in sync with superb editing to make this a visual tour-de-force.
The scripting is almost spot-on; only one 'you're welcome' which as a Brit I spotted immediately as an Americanism. However I can forgive this because - and THANK YOU EVERY ACTOR for your efforts - all the accents were (to my uncultured ear at least) close enough to Belorussian for me to relax - there's nothing that spoils a movie more for me than lazy actors just using their normal voices when they are supposed to be another nationality.
The scenery, wardrobe and other supporting departments were flawless and all served to support a cast who - and I will say it again - did a wonderful job of bringing the lives and achievements of these unsung heroes to the attention of a mass audience.
I wish I could give more than 10.