Hiver 42: Au nom des enfants

I've been an avid Haley Joel Osment fan since his role as Forest Gump's son in the movie of the same name. I have followed this talented young man and seen him grow into one of the great Actors today (not child actors, mind you - he is a full blown actor, IMHO). I lay all this praise out there as a preface to comments since it is important to understand my next statement:

Why on Earth is movie not being distributed in the United States? Why not in World Wide distribution? Here you have an extremely talented cast, in a well thought out and written movie, and so few get to see it. There are some films that are "must see" for the sake of mankind and this is one of them. Is it as significant as Shindler's List? Probably not for the general audience. However, it is very significant for young audiences in their teenage years. I watched this film for the first time with my two sons (14 & 16) and was amazed to hear their perspective on a very difficult subject and time historically. While Shindler's List might help older audiences remember that there was a time that should not be repeated, Edges of the Lord will help teens (and some younger viewers) understand that we cannot allow a repeat of this time in history. My two (Catholic) boys have learned to live as a community from parents and friends that practice what they preach and this film opened their eyes to specifics that are not taught in school. It is very important for those living in relative comfort to see what peers overseas lived like in horrifying circumstances. To have to have grown up so fast. The story captures what should not be forgotten and reminds those of us that know to educate those that don't. Impressive....

The film's star, Haley Joel Osment, is accurate with his acting - voice and accent, and is believable. Haley is amazing in that he can pull you into the world he's in and keep you there. What a gift he has and aren't we lucky to see it grow! Mr. Defoe is excellent. The children in the village are excellent. The set / location and costumes are perfect.

I had to buy this film from Brazil. Miramax, if you are listening, get this film to as many screens as you can! Be responsible, please! At least, release it on DVD. No one should ever forget, and your film will assist in that goal.

I consider this film to be the best one with Haley J. Osment. I must admit that first I watched it only because HJO was starring in it (and because the film was shot in my country, ie Poland). Not only does Haley play wonderfully, but also the film itself is very good, mixing the times of WWII with the fragile construction of children's psyche. The film was made in Poland, so it was very nice to see Haley playing in Polish landscapes. I must say I am very surprised that the film was not yet released in the US. In Poland it was shown in cinemas in 2001. In January 2003 the film was released on DVD. A few weeks ago (November 2003) the movie was on TV so it had really wide audience. I don't understand why such a good movie was not released in the US !! If you want, you can write to me: (make sure it's o2, and not 02).

You know something? It's a bit of a pity that "Edges of the Lord" doesn't get the deserved attention from the press, critics and people in general. That happens in part because of its poor marketing and propaganda. The film should also have a better distribution around the world.

I like Haley Joel Osment. At first I only saw this movie for curiosity because Haley is in it. I don't even like war movies. But this one is actually a good surprise inside its genre.

This isn't like the majority of war films. Comparing to others of its kind, this one is soft when it comes to the Holocaust's horrors and violence (although it still is disturbing). But in general, this is more of a drama that takes place during the World War II in the early 1940's. It's a human movie, a story of braveness, survival, sacrifices and also about learning to accept and respect the other people. It also has some funny moments, such as the hilarious pig fart scene!

"Edges of the Lord" takes place in Poland, the country where it was filmed. One of its attributes is the natural beauty of the sceneries and landscapes: a beautiful village, lakes, trees, mountains and green places. The music is beautiful. It's a touching movie either, not just another Holocaust movie.

Haley Joel Osment and Willem Dafoe are the best known actors of this film. They're American. The others are mostly polish actors but not without a Canadian one (Richard Banel) and an English one (Liam Hess).

The fabulous Haley Joel Osment once again proves his exceptional talent and, along with the other actors, he speaks with a very convincing polish accent.

The other actors have terrific performances too, especially the kids: Liam Hess as Tolo, Richard Banel as Vladek and Ola Frycz as Maria. As for the adult actors, Olaf Lubaszenko is great as Gniecio, as well as Willem Dafoe as the Priest. The director Yurek Bogayevicz did a great job with this American-polish special production.

As for the characters, Tolo is a loving but very strange little boy. Vladek starts by being a hateable brat who's always mistreating Romek, but as the movie runs we end up liking him, because he changes his bratty attitudes, becomes a good boy and finally accepts Romek, becoming his friend and even rescues him when he needs to. Romek is the cutest and most loving kid but also a boy who is thought to disguise in perfection his religious roots. Maria is a pretty and provoking girl who also becomes a better person as the movie runs. Who I never like at all are that awful Kluba and his sons: Pyra and, most of all, that horrible Robal.

I rented this film because I am a fan of Osmet. I was surprised by the performances of almost all the child actors in this film. Liam Hess stole the show. I would have rated this film higher, but the story seemed to meander with no real point at times. The film is very dark and somber throughout but what would you expect from a "holocost" film. The central story is about two boys (one jew and one catholic) who end up living together and experiencing some of the atrocities perpetrated on the jews during WWII by the Germans. The Catholic boy (Liam Hess), who is receiving teachings from the local priest before his first communion decides to mimic the life of Jesus (for what reason I'm not sure) and draws all the other local children into his game. As the film progresses, the story becomes more serious and the Tolo's "games" become more realistic.

I picked up this movie from a video store, not having heard about it before, and watched it on a vacation. I was completely surprised; this is one of the better movies I've seen. It's very moving in all aspects, with wonderful characterization-- characters one loves, and characters one hates. Dafoe and Osment pull of the thick Polish accents very well; so well that it might be a good idea to turn the subtitles on while watching the movie. Without giving any spoilers, I shall say that the plot, though profound, touching, and horrific, is not dramatic just to be dramatic. Every part of the plot, whether it was violent or humorous, religious or sexual, served its purpose in a believable way. I recommend this movie highly, though not for younger children; the R rating it received is fitting, as the movie, though not nearly as violent or sexual as some others, deals with those two themes in a disturbingly haunting manner.