Exploitive and pandering, watch "The Pianist" for an excellent Holocaust film

Rating: 4/10 (12 April 2005)

This movie fails miserably to tell a decent story. In typical Spielberg fashion, the movie blatantly manipulates the viewer's emotions by relying on long camera shots holding on blatantly emotional moments, using "too cute" actors to elicit complete empathy and to push everything over the edge -- sappy music to punctuate the scene. I felt after what I could watch of this movie (I couldn't stomach a full viewing) that I was manipulated and coerced into my emotions about the content of the film. This movie is one of the least intelligent meant-to-be-intelligent movies. Insulting. One should view "The Pianist" for about as perfect a movie re-enacting a Holocaust experience. Not once do you feel as though your being 'forced' to empathize or sympathize with the character, that happens naturally in the context of the film. Any person of Jewish faith should be embarrassed and ashamed of this movie; it actually does a dis-service to the Holocaust. I think it's best summed up by an episode of Sienfield -- sleep worthy!