SOLOMON AND GAENOR is a near retelling of the Romeo and Juliet story in a setting of rural Wales around 1910. In this case the boy is from an Orthodox Jewish shop owner/peddler family recently escaped from the pogroms of Russia; and the girl is from a Protestant Welsh coal mining family whose brother spits whenever he mentions Jews. From this background of irreconcilable differences comes a true romantic tragedy, beautifully told in a spare, realistic style, with exceptional acting by both leads. The technical credits are equally flawless. The film was submitted by the United Kingdom for best foreign language film Oscar; and don't be surprised if it makes the final five.
Review of Solomon & Gaenor
