Heart-Rending Take On What & How War IS For Children. ♦ 97%

Rating: 10/10 (2 July 2013)

I had heard so much about it, and after experiencing Schindler's List, The Lives Of Others & other Nazi-related motion pictures, here I am.
Very subtle, the film starts off with wonderful music which stays till the end. I could even say that the tuneful music is the best part. In the same lines, the story takes off. How a lively kid, away from his friends, enclosed in a Nazi mansion tries to find solace in his newly found friends who also happen to intrigue him. This, as a result, creates ripples in the family. And eventually, things turn ugly.
What the makers have done here with adaptation is that they have given ample time to create character depths. Their auras are well-defined, mostly because we know the war time. The cinematography is excellent, with least to no anachronisms. I was stunned by the performance of the lead boys. Vera Farmiga is terrific, as always. The whole shebang looks very good.
It simply tells a moving story and makes us abhor the war more and more and the climax will make you turn on the waterworks. The most ruthless Nazi movie to come out in the last decade. Wonderful. 9.7!
BOTTOM LINE: You cannot miss this one. Highly Recommended.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
Profanity: No | Vulgarity/Nudity: No | Sex/Foreplay: No | Mouth-Kiss: Very Mild | Violence: Mediocre (Strong Implications) | Gore: Mild | Smoking: Strong | Alcohol: Mediocre | Traumatizing Quotient: Strong