Reviews

There are some constants in WW2 film-making. - There is always the level headed guy.

• There is always the guy with something to live for.

• There is always the gruff but likable guy.

• There is always the guy you love to hate.

• There is always the guy from Brooklyn.

They are all there in Saints and Soldiers.

I saw this fine film at the 2004 Stony Brook Film Festival where it was very well received. The animated post-film Q+A session ran the clock out rather than running short on questions from the audience.

The film is about a handful of Allied soldiers escaping through a frozen forest near Malmedy, Belgium. Along the way, each has their morals and beliefs tested. From the literally haunted look of Nathan 'Deacon' Greer (Corbin Allred) to the attitude of Shirl 'I just want to get back and kill Germans' Kendrick(Larry Bagby), the characters are rich and memorable. Many of the encounters that are portrayed in the film are actual events reported by veterans and then brought to life. In fact, actor Peter Holden is playing his grandfather in the role of Sgt. Gordon Gunderson.

What the film portrays in good fashion is that there is a morality in place in the average soldier during war. They have to wrestle with their beliefs on a daily basis and in ways we civilians both discount and cannot comprehend. In Saints and Soldier, the idea of higher values is depicted in a non-denominational way leaving the viewer free to infer whatever religion they feel is appropriate. Even the Germans, the necessary antagonists in any European Theatre WW2 film, do not appear as cardboard cutouts. Granted, they are the enemy and do bad things but the film centers on the Allies. The Germans WERE the Bad Guys, after all. That being said, there =are= acts of humanity depicted to support the underlying morality of the story.

Although the film was shot on a shockingly low budget, production values are exceedingly high. Everything "looked right" to my eye though I am sure someone in the audience will spot an out-of-place collar tab somewhere. The scenery brought a chill, the music was evocative, the battle scenes were gripping and the sound editing had people twisting in their seats trying to locate the source.

All in all, Saints and Soldiers is an excellent film that should be seen on the big screen and then added to any history buff's DVD collection when video release time comes. It has a reserved spot on my video shelf next to The Winter War, The Longest Day and All Quiet on the Western Front.

I saw this at the 2004 Stony Brook Film Festival in NY and it was very warmly received. In this pre-WW2 film, a pair of German rocket scientists are working on the Scottish Isle of Scarp as war looms on the horizon. The characters encountered on the island are priceless in their creation and their portrayal. Shauna MacDonald is particularly memorable

After getting up to speed on the "Scootish" accents, the viewer feel right at home with these folk who watch with amusement as the Germans work to link their isle with the mainland via a rocket-based mail delivery. As implausible as it seems, this film was based on an actual story.

All in all, a memorable film that will stay with you for some time thanks to its casting, its story or its scenery.

Just saw this film on its USA premiere at the Stony Brook Film Festival opening night. A packed house and an excellent Q+A session made this moving film a perfect choice to start the festival.

As previously stated, the casting was perfect with the distressed family members being portrayed in believable and engrossing ways. Both Rush and Davis deliver wonderful portrayals. According to the author, who was on hand for the opening, Geoffrey Rush did an eerily accurate job in his role as Tony Fingleton's father.

All in all, an excellent film that should be distributed more widely than it currently is.

I saw this at the Stony Brook Film Festival on Long Island New York and was generally pleased with it. It split first place in the Jury Awards there and made a close run for Audience Choice as well.

It takes two characters and basically switches them, giving each a glimpse into the possibilities of parallel existances. Derrick,a spoiled upper crust New Yorker, and Zane, a street thug, are quite opposite but somehow make the mind switch and wind up making do in each other's lives. My main problem with the film was that there was no mechanism for the switch.

It was nicely filmed and nicely acted with each of the personalities being likeable and despicable in appropriate doses. The filming of the duality of parallel worlds was quite creative.

I had the misfortune of seeing this snoozer at the recent Stony Brook Film Festival In NY. More people left midway through this film than all the others I attended. (FYI, I was at 95% of the films)

From the cheap and misleading ploy of the opening shot to the final resolution, there was nothing to raise this above a mediocre student film.

The plot trudged forward at a glacial pace with scene transitions used mainly to pull the viewer back from the doze they were slipping into. The music was used to soporific effect through repetition, much to the dismay of the audience.

It was poorly acted and muddy. The second tier characters had stonger film presences than the main characters. Raven, the romantic interest and Chuck the Boss were the only memorable performances.

In all, a film to view only if sleep is evading you. Steer clear if you are a fan of Film Noir or suspense films. It will only leave you with an infuriating 2 hour loss from your life.