An American journalist lives in modern day Paris with her French husband. Her magazine decides to commemorate one of France’s most shameful episodes during World War II when the French police aided the Germans in rounding up thousands of Jews to be taken to concentration camps. At the same time, she discovers that her husband’s family apartment seems to have been acquired under questionable circumstances in 1942. The story oscillates between several timelines, telling the story of a little Jewish girl called Sarah who once lived in the apartment, up until 1942, that is. A beautifully sad and poignant tale.
Kristin Scott Thomas stars as the journalist and Melusine Mayance does an incredible job as the haunted child, Sarah. Between them, they convey the horrific injustice and inhumanity of the Nazi obsession with wiping out the Jews but the storytelling manages to show this at an individual level, showing the fear, trauma and scars that can never be forgotten. It is deeply sad, rather than shocking, and is one of those films that should be watched.
Scott Thomas puts her bilingual skills to good use. There are subtitles for significant parts of the film but they do not detract. It is heartening to know that not all French people in films talk with American accents. The film is based upon the 2011 book, Untouchable.
Certificate: 12
1 hour 51 min
YOUTUBE (£3.49) PRIME (£3.49)
Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Cast: Kristin Scott Thomas, Melusine Mayance, Niels Arestrup
