The Zookeeper

'The Zookeeper' tells a harrowing and moving tale of Ludovic, an ex-communist now zookeeper, who chooses to stay back at war torn Czech Republic in order to take care of the animals. He is regularly visited and harassed by militants (who have already taken Ludovic's only companion, a vet, into their custody) that interrupt his solitude. Suddenly he encounters a young boy and then not much time later, his armed mother shows up to seek refuge. Protecting them would ensure risking his own life. During this ordeal, the three, though at times conflicted, manage to find some solace in taking care of the animals while experiencing constant fear for their own lives and the sadness in losing some of the animals due to the ice cold weather.

Made on a decent budget, the zoo setting is well constructed and the actors' interaction with the animals feels genuine. The director manages to draw the viewer into the story and engage them. While we do care about the characters we also worry about the poor animals who already spent their whole lives in captivity and now during the war there is no escape for them. We are comforted to see the three protagonists do their best to keep them safe but the death scenes are heartbreaking. The screenplay is solid and sticks to the main story. The characters are well developed and the dialogues are good. Ralph Zimen shows clever use of symbolism.

Sam Neill may be an unusual choice but he carries off the title role very well. It couldn't have been an easy role to play but the actor demonstrates his skills effectively. Gina McKee is a very underrated actress and this is one of the few movies that does justice to her immense talent. The actress is sublime. Javor Loznica does a fantastic job by being restrained and explosive when required. Om Puri makes a strong impression in a small role.

I liked the novel concept of the story. How often does one get to see a movie set in a zoo during a civil war? 'The Zookeeper' is a story about courage, survival, love and sacrifice. We see Ludovic transform into this caring person risking his own life to protect Ankiza and her son. We see Ankiza, who was raped and tortured and is now a hardened soldier who still retains the loving and compassionate side of her own self. Then there's young Zioig who forces himself to be an adult and use a gun but who still hasn't lost his innocence and compassion as is evident in his interaction with the animals. Even though one can see the ending coming, it is superbly done. 'The Zookeeper' is one powerful film that deserves multiple viewing.

The film is beautiful, moving and sensitive with a subtlety not often displayed these days. Moving performances from Sam Neill, Gina McKee and Javor Loznica. This film has a resonance that stays with you for days. Perhaps it's the images of caged animals terrified by falling bombs, or perhaps it's Sam Neill's haunting performance. He plays a man at war with himself within the confines of a zoo.

Last year (2016) I happened to see Sam Neill in 3 different vehicles, and he was awesome in all: Peaky Blinders, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and The Zookeeper. I would be hard-pressed to say which I liked better, or which he was better in. Suffice to say, his stature as an actor took a quantum leap in my estimation. I highly recommend all three, although Peaky Blinders is quite violent, and also an ongoing mini-series with the attendant time commitment (Come on, Season Four!!) The Zookeeper is heartbreaking, and I wept for humans and animals alike.

This follows Ludovic, a former Communist who tries to protect the animals in a zoo in Eastern Europe, in a time of conflict, until the U.N. forces arrive. He tries to ignore the proximity and behavior of an armed group of nationalists, until he is confronted by a young boy. This has three excellent actors, all from different countries, Neill, Ulrich and Puri. Every performance is magnificent. Granted, English is the only language spoken, and accents aren't necessarily spot-on, but that can be forgiven. This is very strong, suspenseful and exciting, and I was caught completely off-guard several places. It captures the chaos and uncertainty of the situation absolutely perfectly. Quite dramatic. The writing is good, and it develops rather smoothly. Pacing is fitting. Cinematography and editing are great. The DVD has two featurettes, a regular making-of, and one that deals with an actual keeper, in Sarajevo, whose interview is translated vocally into American. Both are well-done and worth the time. This has relatively infrequent moderate to harsh cussing, as well as violence and disturbing content. I recommend this to anyone who watches films about the way war affects the civilians. 8/10

Screenplay writer Matthew Bishop and co-writer/director Ralph Ziman's independently produced 'The Zookeeper' is unfairly, mostly unknown. It features above-average production values and an unusual but interesting performance by Sam Neil. Neil plays an ex-communist party member who has denounced the party and hidden himself away as an attendant in an unspecified Eastern European Zoo. Filmed on location in the Czech Republic, it tells a story that will have all too often unfolded within many war-torn European communities - where communist troops arrive and exert their control.

The emotionally challenged Zookeeper tends his animal charges alone - while attempting to remain neutral of the war raging around his unique boundaries. This won't be easy as there are others also wanting to escape the outside trauma - these come in the form of a young boy and one of his parents. The internationally sourced budget includes many well-executed scenes involving explosions and it's all expertly captured on film by prize-winning Polish cinematographer Piotr Kuklar.

There's also an effective music score by Nikolaj Egelund, supplying a haunting soundscape within the eerie shut-down zoological grounds. Popular American wildlife trainer Steve Martin (Water For Elephants '11) acted as head trainer for all the zoo animals. Acclaimed Indian actor Om Puri (Ghost and the Darkness) also appears as the vet.

The Beyond DVD offers good image and sound - this is a film deserving of better public recognition.