Fugitive Pieces

Jakob Beer (Stephen Dillane) and Alex (Rosamund Pike) seem to be a happy Toronto couple but Alex finds his journal where he fears losing his identity to Alex. He is haunted by his past and they split up. His Polish family was destroyed by the Nazis and his sister Bella (Nina Dobrev) was taken by them. Jakob (Robbie Kay) was rescued by Greek archaeologist Athos Roussos (Rade Šerbedžija). In Greece, they fear the occupying Nazis and escape to Canada. In Toronto, they befriend their Jewish neighbors who escaped from Warsaw.

This is a gentle telling of a horrifying tale. The adult Jakob is fine but it is the chemistry between Rade and the younger Jakob that is so touching. Rade is so powerful and the kid is so fragile. The movie does miss Rade when he's gone. However, it doesn't mean Jakob's later relationship isn't just as compelling. There is a dreamy, gentle tone throughout.

Wonderful film not be missed. All the characters are very well developed, and portrayed with sensitivity. People with a troubled past will identify with the protagonists soul searching journey, especially if you have been affected by the holocaust. The musical score just serves to tighten that chocking feeling as the viewer attempts to suppress tears. The cinematography is masterful in capturing some of the most beautiful sea side scenes available in Mediterranean Europe (Greece).

The writer protagonist (Stephen Dillane) is well experienced playing introspective roles, as he also played the husband of Virginia Wolf (Nicole Kidman) in "The Hours."

We had no idea in advance of this movie...but we were overwhelmed totally. To us, it is an Academy Award Nominee to say the least. Rarely does a picture such as this, is able to move anyone emotionally as well as creating love and inspiration about the human soul. We will not go into the contents of the film...but if you do not see it, you would be missing something in your life. It's that good. I do not understand why it has not been shown in larger movie venues. We saw this in a small theater, similar to an art film setting. Go run ..give yourself a lift in life experience and see this film. We can't wait till it's on a DVD so we can buy it and enjoy it again.

The film tells the story of a Polish man, Jakob, who was orphaned during the 2nd World War and saved by a Greek archaeologist. His saviour smuggles him out of Poland to Greece and relative safety. After the war they move to Canada and Jakob reflects on his life, writing about his traumatic childhood, the memories of which still haunt him. His troubled emotions lead to the break up of his marriage and he moves on with the intent of coming to terms with his past.

Towards the end of the film the story does perhaps get a little too profound and the ultimate resolution is a bit too neat and tidy to be believable. However, it's a great story.

This probably says more about my own gray matter than it does about the movie, but I was a good 20 minutes into "Fugitive Pieces" when I realized I'd already seen it. Still, there's something slightly generic about the film; well more than slightly, as Holocaust-survivor movies have become one of the more popular genres going. Let's just say that for me, "Pieces" was not a very memorable example of the genre.

One obvious problem: the protagonist, Jakob, is the least interesting character in the film. Yes, I know that he's a survivor, and that's made him laconic and introverted, but my god is he dull. (I haven't read the book and have no desire to, so perhaps the film is being faithful to the source material. If so this was a mistake.)Another problem: the actor, Stephen Dillane, is at least a decade too old for the part. The scene where he and Rade Serbedzija are shown on camera for the first time is jarring -- Dillane was 50 when the movie was shot; Serbedzija was 60. I find it beyond incredible that not one but two completely hot babes would totally fall for this dweeb. Only in sitcoms, and in the movies.

What I liked: this is a beautifully shot movie. Every frame is a marvel of composition, light and color. And while the Jakob character was a bit dull for my liking, I did appreciate that the movie didn't beat us over the head with the Nazis from Central Casting, as if we were just learning about their atrocities. There are a few, but they aren't gruesome nor gratuitous. In fact just about every character in the film is basically a good guy just trying to muddle through.