Left Luggage

I know, I stick my neck out with that summary, but this was one of those rare movies that genuinely surprised me. I flicked onto it by accident and it seemed interesting, and I am so pleased I saw it - and I will be watching it many times again in the future. Laura Fraser, who I haven't seen in many other movies (certainly none as memorable as this), is simply astounding in her performance as a modern Jewish girl confronted by an old-fashioned Jewish family in the 1970s. She befriends a young boy and becomes very attached to him. This relationship, I felt, was built in a genuinely heartwarming way.

Laura Fraser is not the only surprise - there is also the performances of Maximilian Schell and Isabella Rosselini, not to mention the great supporting cast of adults and many children.

To bring this theme into a 'modern' setting (and though the film is set in the 70s it could almost be today) is a difficult task, and this film not only succeeds, it shines. If you happen to fall upon this movie, don't pass it by because you wouldn't want to miss it.

The movie starts with a father telling his young daughter Chaya the story of how he had to escape from the Germans carrying everything he had in only two suitcases. Eventually, he had to bury the suitcases because he couldn't carry them any more as he kept running from place to place.

The loud rock music and the protests reminiscent of 1960s America tell us times have changed. And despite the somber opening, the movie takes a comic turn rather quickly, though it is far from a comedy.

In 1972 Antwerp, Chaya is a sweet, pretty 20-year-old philosophy student who does have a temper when riled. She quits her latest job at a restaurant after a prank (if you don't care for 'Fear Factor' and you have the ability to fast-forward, use it here).

Chaya visits her parents and finds out her father has still not given up on finding his suitcases. He has a map, but the area has changed so much. She is getting tired of hearing the story. Meanwhile, her kindly mother continues baking cakes. We also find out later she is making waterproof blankets with a loom.

With her landlady frustrated about all the delays with receiving rent money, Chaya must find a job soon. Mr. Apfelschnitt knows of a job as a nanny with a Hasidic family, the Kalmans. Chaya, despite being Jewish by birth, claims to hate Jews (though she is good friends with Mr. Apfelschnitt, who wears a yarmulke). But her desperation leads her to try.

Hasidic Jews are like the Amish and the Mennonites in Christianity--very strict, shunning many modern conveniences. And the minute she arrives at the third-floor apartment, Mrs. Kalman starts explaining those rules. Her husband's bedroom is off-limits, for example. And Chaya should dress like a woman; she is wearing jeans. Among the family's five children is Simcha, who is four but has never talked, but he and Chaya immediately make a connection.

The rules become too much for Chaya and she quits, but she accidentally takes something with her that belongs to the Kalmans, and she must return it. When she sees Simcha again, she knows she can't leave.

Chaya must work through the difficulties of life in the Hasidic culture, among other problems. One of her obstacles is the evil concierge, who constantly claims the elevator is out of order. In fact, he hates Jews with a passion and doesn't want them to ride it. He calls them lazy, ranting about how HE has to work. His only friend seems to be his dog. The concierge's evil behavior provides the film with many of its comic moments.

Eventually, Chaya makes a breakthrough with Simcha, as Annie Sullivan did. But her modern attitude is out of place here, and her desire to see people treated with respect is not appreciated. Also, she is called a 'Gomer' (meaning harlot, though a stronger word was used) when she finally dresses like a woman. In 1972, a lot of women wore scandalously short skirts.

A tragedy threatens to keep this movie from having a happy ending. The event does offer more insights into Hasidic culture, though, and leads to some good acting and writing. The last scene with dialogue is a happy and even humorous one, though, but this is followed by depressing music and scenery that reminds us of change.

If this movie had been done in the language of the people depicted, I believe it would have been worthy of a foreign-language Oscar. Being in English, it probably had too much competition that was better-known. But Laura Fraser did a fine job as Chaya. She showed such charm and such determination, and effectively showed us many emotions.

Adam Monty made an immediate impression as the young Simcha, giving a winning performance even without saying a word, and still impressing once he talked. The movie's best scenes were those with him and Chaya.

Topol also did a fine job as Mr. Apfelschnitt. Everyone in a leading role gave a good performance--Maximilian Schell as Chaya's father, Isabella Rossellini as the Hasidic mother particularly. I will also single out Jeroen Krabbe as the Hasidic father, who could be loving and even happy despite his often strict and often angry demeanor. But his best moment came as he described what happened to his family during World War II.

I also must mention David Bradley as the concierge, who actually showed a human side.

Was this a family movie? Perhaps. There were a few dirty words, and references to the promiscuity of Chaya's roommate, but maybe this was not any worse than two episodes of '7th Heaven'. There was also a skinny-dipping scene with Chaya and her roommate, but we didn't really get to see anything (unless this was edited for TV).

There are references to the Holocaust, and one really scary moment with the concierge, though it is followed by the funniest moment in the movie.

The educational value of the film may outweigh other considerations. We learn a lot more about the Hasidic than I ever knew, and as depicted here, they are not the uptight people some believe them to be, despite all their rules.

This was an outstanding effort.

Saw this wonderful film at the Chicago Film Festival. Cast was excellent, story was thought-provoking...but the best element was the inspired direction by actor Jeroen Krabbe. It was truly visual poetry, and gut-wrenching at that.

In 1972, in Antwerp, Chaya (Laura Fraser) is a liberal Jewish student of philosophy living alone. Her father (Maximiliam Schell) spends his time trying to find two pieces of luggage he buried in the Second World War, like he could bring his past back. Her mother (Marianne Saegebrecht) spends her time preparing cakes and sewing, trying not to think in life. In order to raise some money to pay for her rent, Chaya accepts to work as the nanny of two twin babies in an orthodox Jewish home, recommended by her friend Mr. Apfelschnitt (Chaim Topol) to the babies' parents, Mrs. Kalman (Isabella Rossellini) and Mr. Kalman (Jeroen Krabbé). Indeed Chaya feels some kind of affection for their four years old son Simcha (Adam Monty), a boy with serious emotional problems and without speech. Meanwhile, the concierge of the building (David Bradley) is a fascist who hates Jews and Chaya faces him without fear. The story has a very tragic end. This film is a very sad story about losses. The direction and performances of the cast are magnificent. Just as a curiosity, the Brazilian distributor LK-Tel Video wrote the following information in the front cover of the video: `Critics of the site www.imdb.com * As Good As The Schindler's List* ` I noted they used part of the comment made by the user `Sailor Leila (sailor-leila@shomar.co.uk) York, England', who wrote: `In its own way, almost as good as Schindler's List'. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): `Amor e Dor' (`Love and Pain')

This film has a most unusual setting, the Chassidic community of Antwerp, Belgium. The protagonist is a young Jewish (but non-observant) woman, who gets a job taking care of the children of a Chassidic family, and has a humanising effect on all, of them, including the imposing and forbidding father, albeit with an unfortunate side effect.

The film's title refers to a sub-plot, in which the protagonist's father digs holes in various spots around Antwerp, seeking for some trunks of personal effects he buried while fleeing from the Nazis.

After the film was over, I realized a few flaws in the plot (Unlike one of your other reviewers, I did not find the nude swimming scene unpleasant at all. It serves nicely to contrast the protagonist's lack of inhibition with the sexual prudery of the Chassidim.). For one thing, the concierge of the building in which the Chassidic family lives is an anti-Semite, who constantly harasses the family. He denies them access to the elevator, blocks the stairs and even injures one of the children. Yet nobody thinks of complaining the the building's owner about him.

Also, the name of the protagonist is Chaya. Yet it never occurs to her best friend, until it comes up in conversation, that she might be Jewish.