562nd Review - Tells a tale but not as film

Rating: 5/10 (2 May 2014)

Fascinating tale, great cast. Seriously one of the most interesting stories of WWII. And yet TMM is instantly forgettable. Why? Well, having spent some time thinking about its merits and faults I would say it points the camera and shoots in a way that disengages rather than involves and it doesn't really allow its actors to be more than predictable and above all the script is frankly, dull - it focuses when the viewer wants more scale, and diminishes the small stuff - it is frankly not good enough.
This combination of a very straight camera style, and lack of cinematography - lighting in particularly is very straightforward - with no sense of vision for the acting makes for a very decent, even noble, but dull film. It's fault is, honestly, it is mainly bland: bland camera, bland acting, and above all, bland script.
Only Cate Blanchett seems to bring some depth - everyone else has turned up and given their all but it doesn't translate. What we get is moderately exciting or interesting - and given the amazing story it really should be more.
One wished this film could have been as good as the plot deserves - it is certainly watchable - but it's not the film it could have been. As you can probably tell this viewer had been really looking forward to this one, and was monumentally disappointed.