Resistance

The film itself is pretty formulaic, neither really bad nor really good. My biggest problem was Eisenberg as a total miscast for young Marcel Marceau. As a professional mime artist, I might be twice as critical here. But his stone face, stiff moves and rapid-fire talking are pretty much the opposite of real Marceau. So I simply couldn't believe his role. So in the end, there is nothing special about this film, apart introducing Marceau's WW2 experiences to an audience that might either never have heard of him or just know him as the world famous mime that he became later.

I have absolutely no idea who Eisenberg is, and consequently watched this film with no preformed opinions or expectations. Only afterwards reading others' (mostly) negative comments did I realise that (I assume) he's better known for different types of role. Well, without the baggage and preconceptions, I think he gave a pretty good performance. I found it believable and nothing struck me as being either over- or underdone.

That being said, give it a few days when I'll have forgotten most of the specifics of this film, and I will probably once again have no idea who Eisenberg is. It's not an OSCAR-worthy performance, but it's acceptable.

The story itself I found engaging, all the better for being based on true events, and I have no regrets at having made the time to watch it. I probably won't watch it a second time in a few years, once it's a distant memory, but that's more to do with having lots that I do want to rewatch, and (probably) not enough time left to fit them all in.

Can I, though, take a moment to give 10/10 to the reviewer who commented "So Marcel Marceau was a Resistance fighter, huh? He kept that quiet." :-) Best one-liner I've read in ages!

Fantastic Holocaust film. I doubt many people know the true life connection this great stage actor had to saving children during WW2.

This movie plucks at the heart strings. I will have to do some digging on how historically accurate this film was but I feel that Eisenberg did a fantastic job. Don't let the negative reviews deter you from this. The plot was well thought out and all of the cast portrayed their characters very well. I rented this movie from amazon for $7 and I am going to buy the dvd to add to my collection l.

Marceau's life story deserves to be told. His body of work is a precious gift. Sadly, this is a journeyman's effort from Jon Jakubowicz; the script lacks nuance; and, the film falls well short of good cinema. Jesse Eisenberg does a fair job of his dramatic role but he is no mime, and here, that's a shame. Bella Ramsey stands out as Elizabeth. Not worth going out on a cold night to see this plodding tale.