“The Zookeeper’s Wife” may have appeal to history buffs of that turbulent time but the story has a more universal appeal about love and compassion for all animals, even us humans. Heck makes for an interesting point on the triangle of the three characters, in more ways than the obvious one. Daniel Bruhl, even when wearing an SS uniform, displays Heck’s intellect and equal passion for animals, if not man. Johan Haldenbergh is equally strong-willed and no less passionate, but in a subtle way as he fools the Nazis, taking those certain to die to safety. 31, 2017 Czech Republic, UK, USA 126 Min. Chastain is convincing as the strong, compassionate woman to who life, whether man or beast, is sacred. The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) HD They gave all they had to save all they could Mar. The stars of the film all give solid performances. The variety of zoo animals and Antonina’s loving care for them sets the viewer’s empathy, especially for the little camel, Adam. Costume (Chastain is a clothes horse for the fashion of the period) and production design both set the stage convincingly for the incredible tale. This little-know story is given straightforward cinematic treatment by the filmmakers. Antonina and husband Jan, the zoo’s curator, hatch a plan to spirit as many Jews as possible from the ghetto, hide them and help them escape Nazi persecution. But, the now vacant basement cages would be a perfect hiding place. The fate of these inhabitants is well known. At the same time, the Jews of the city are forced into a ghetto that grew in population to hundreds of thousands. The zoo, in turn, is converted into a pig farm to feed the Nazi occupiers. The rest of the animals are slaughtered by the German soldiers. Then, the Germans, in the guise of zoologist Lutz Heck (Daniel Bruhl), arrive to take the best of the zoo’s breeds and bring them to Berlin. Then, in September of 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland and the zoo, like all of Warsaw, is ruthlessly bombed repeatedly, killing many animals and causing other to escape into the ravaged city. She greets the visitors and overseas the care and feeding of her animal wards. She rides around the zoo on her bicycle accompanied by a baby camel named Adam. The day before the surprise invasion by the Nazis is just another for Antonina and the residents of the Warsaw Zoo. “Hidden Figures,” “Loving” and “Land of Mine” were three such stories and is joined by the adaptation of the non-fiction book by Diane Ackerman with director Niki Caro and writer Angela Workman. The past year has been rife with films that reveal some little- or un-known story of our history. Laura finds nothing particularly wrong with "The Zookeeper's Wife," enjoying its little known piece of WWII history, but she didn't find it particularly memorable either.
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