The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler

Hallmark's sentimental touch has never been more appropriate than for this story of a Polish nurse that saved the life of 2500 Jewish children during WWII. Anna Paquin (BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE) is quickly becoming the Queen of TV movies. Her performance here is amazing. Marcia Gay Harden, who plays her equally brave mother, also gives a fine performance. The editing is quite sharp. The violent scenes, like the Gestapo's torture scenes, are jarring to say the least. I was expecting a female version of SCHINDLER'S LIST but after the film was over I could not help but compare this story to THE HIDING PLACE. Irena Sendler is a worthy heroine in the same league as Corrie Ten Boom. Some viewers might think "Enough already" with these kind of stories but when they are as good as this I will respond "Keep them coming!"

Amazing film about an amazing women who risked her life in order to save Jewish children of the holocaust. Watching a story like this makes you wonder, what you would do in her situation would you have the courage to act? Anna Paquin gives a great performance as Irena. Yes I recommend. James Welch Henderson Arkansas 4/12/21.

I usually find Hallmark movies a bit schmaltzy, but the inclusion of Anna Paquin convinced me to give this a try. I'm glad I did. This was excellent, well-paced, and suspenseful. The character portraits were succinct but rich, and I found myself caring about what happened to everyone, which is quite a feat for a two-hour TV movie.

I won't give the plot away, but considering it's a WW2 movie about sneaking Jewish children out of a ghetto, you can probably guess where it's going.

Production values were excellent. It felt more like a feature than a TV movie. Give it a try.

I found this movie a worthwhile watch. Over the years I've done a fair bit of reading about the Second World War, Nazi Germany and the Holocaust - but until now I've never heard of Irena Spendler. Her story is worth knowing, and is reasonably portrayed (albeit in a kind of bare bones fashion) by this made for TV movie. Anna Paquin put on a solid performance in the title role. Irena was a Polish social worker in Nazi- occupied Warsaw who worked in the Jewish Ghetto, and became determined to save the Jewish children who were there. In the end, by smuggling them out of the Ghetto and placing them with willing Polish families, 2500 children were saved.

This lacks the sustained intensity of "Schindler's List." For probably three-quarters of the movie, although the conditions of the Ghetto are portrayed as dreadful, the threat from the Germans seems muted and distant, albeit it ever present. Having said that, the intensity of the movie increases dramatically after Irena is arrested by the Gestapo, and the scenes in which she's tortured are quite unnervingly realistic. A nice touch at the movie's end was a few brief words from the real Irena Spendler, who died in 2008.

For those interested in this period of history, this is a worthwhile movie - not the best of the Holocaust-themed movies, but certainly a good one.

Very watchable biopic portraying the true life story of Irena Sendler. Although obviously not made on the same budget as Schindler's List, it is still an amazing story of a truly courageous Polish woman. The acting is good overall and excellent by Anna Paquin as the lead. It is another example of how individual people walk into danger, when most people would hide away. If you Google "Life in a Jar" you will get more information on Irena Sendler's amazing life and how her story finally came into the public consciousness in 1999. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Recognized by Yad Vashem in 1965 and supported from the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous in New York City. A very life affirming story.