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Critics Consensus: A gripping, handsomely shot World War II melodrama with thriller elements successfully mixed in.
Critic Consensus: A gripping, handsomely shot World War II melodrama with thriller elements successfully mixed in.
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All Critics (64) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (17) | DVD (1)
Writer-director Martin Koolhoven hits just the right balance of domesticity and oppression here, setting up the film's tense second half with sweet early touches of naivete.
It's got a grown-up artfulness, but "Winter in Wartime" could become a lot of boys' favorite movie.
What makes "Winter" really special is its complex exploration of the theme of heroism.
Director Martin Koolhoven's film about one boy's struggle to make sense of the absurd - of the inhumanity of war and its effects on everyone around him.
Winter in Wartime benefits from top-notch production values and a sturdy performance from its young lead, Martijn Lakemeier.
If you've seen one slow-motion "Noooooooo!" as a firing squad lets loose, you've seen 'em all.
Winter in Wartime is a sad, surprising film.
...there's a lack of momentum here that prevents the viewer from connecting to the material on a frustratingly continuous basis...
A child-witness-to-war movie gets lost in a convention-driven screenplay
A most involving and touching coming of age tale set in a time and place when childhood was a luxury few families or nations could afford.
Shot beautifully and it evokes its setting well, but sometimes the movie relies a little too much on plot trickery and not enough on the emotional state of its main character.
Spielbergian touches...a good enough mainstream drama, but one can't help but feel it's a missed opportunity to give Terlouw a more textured treatment.
I like this movie quite a bit, but I just felt that there was something missing that would've made it great. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but there was something that completely detached me from the experience. I shouldn't even say that because that must imply I was attached to any of the characters, when I wasn't and that's probably what was missing from the movie. I never had any connection to the characters, so I didn't really care about them in the long run. The movie is well put together and well acted, but I just felt nothing towards the characters. The pacing is also slightly erratic and the last act of the movie feels like a series of unfortunate events that makes this part of the movie come across as hokey. It's a good movie but one that I find is incredibly flawed.
Super Reviewer
A family is torn apart by loyalties, fear, secrecy and distrust while their freezing little world disintegrates around them. Excellent acting, cinematography for a rare coming-of-age piece. Powerful ending. Really good film!
Oorlogswinter is a very, very special movie around the themes war, love, trust, friendship from the point of view of a 14-year old Dutch teenager in the last winter of World War 2. Beautiful cold winter-setting with lots of snow and original landscapes; - fantastic music , I loved the music in the movie, unbelievable beautiful. The script has been adjusted very well for the screen, with a suspenseful storyline and depth characters. The performances of Martijn Lakemeijer (Michiel) and Jamie Campbell Bower (Jack) really stand out. For Dutch standards it's produced in very high quality, with great photography and a incredible score. I recommend this movie highly to anyone, especially those who are interested in war stories.
A compelling, incredibly thrilling masterpiece. More thoughts to come.
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