Transatlantic

I stumbled upon Transatlantic out of curiosity, not knowing what to expect. However, to my delight, it turned out to be a true gem. The exceptional acting, well-crafted plot, and engaging script kept me captivated throughout the entire movie. What truly sets this film apart is its artistic value, evident in every scene, from the stunning cinematography to the exquisite ending credits.

As a war movie enthusiast, I was particularly intrigued by the historical context and story of the French resistance during World War II, which I realized I wasn't familiar with. The film showcased this movement in a stylish and compelling way, which was a refreshing departure from the usual war movie tropes. The addition of the artistic flair and the charming seaside of Marseille added an extra layer of visual appeal and made for a cinematic dream.

Overall, the film exceeded my expectations and left me with a newfound appreciation for the French resistance and the beauty of Marseille. I am grateful to have discovered this hidden gem.

I am glad to finally see the tale told of the sad loss of the brilliant Walter Benjamin as WWII escalated, but yet somehow the story of his brilliance and then the brilliance of all the other famous artists in the tale, does not do them justice. These figures are lost to some other intent in the construction of this story...this history needs to be told, but somehow this telling is missing authenticity, it sacrifices this for the sake of finding 2020 in 1940.

It is never the less help ful to see the enactments, the tale of these brave efforts does need to be told, especially of the almost misses, the ways in which the US came too close to not helping the struggle.

The Netflix series is based on real life events in Marseilles, France during the early days of WW II. Dark times, indeed, from an historical view. But, somehow, "Transatlantic" comes across more like a collection of ingénues and eccentrics on a madcap adventure, rather than as a literal life and death struggle against fascism. The tone of this series is set by a soundtrack that hit me every which way but right; the overall effect was like watching a strange, inappropriate homage to a Woody Allen period piece comedy. Kudos to the cast, though, which manages at times to rise above it all with some excellent performances; and the on-location cinematography adds authenticity to the historical weight of the storyline. "Transatlantic" may be the only series you should watch with the audio muted and the captions on, because what happened is worth knowing so that it is not forgotten, or repeated.

The true story is well known and awe inspiring. A true larger than life story in WWII occupied France when the South was still a "free" zone. All the refugees were in Nice, Cannes, Marseille awaiting to leave the territory. Unfortunately, the series is torn between retelling the true events and highly romanticising them with the addition of too many love interests as well as too many politically correct subplots raising concerns that were not relevant at the time especially in time of war. Those tend to slow and hinder the proper storytelling, depriving it of fluidity in addition to some completely false resistance storylines. It could have been great.

I clicked Transatlantic open out of curiosity and binge watched the whole series. As the story is mainly based on real events and people, it gives a view to the bravery of ordinary people. As Varian Fry really was gay, he was in danger in several ways. Mary Jayne Gold managed to find a way to escape the boring existence of the women of her class and find a purpose. Famous artists and intellectuals really belong to the story instead of being planted into it to make it interesting. Makers also trust that the audience understand why these people are fleeing the nazis. Marseille is portrayd beautifully and the addition of the transporter bridge which was destroyed only few years later, adds to the integrity of the production. Funnily I couldn't decide if this was a really good series, but I just had to see all of it at once.