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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
An intrepid journalist brings the past to life in this gripping drama. An American based in Paris, Julia Jarmond (Tell No One's Kristin Scott Thomas) has been working on a piece about a French atrocity while planning to move into an apartment that belongs to her husband Bertrand's family. During the course of her research, she finds that 10-year-old Sarah Starzynski (Mélusine Mayance, a sparky presence) lived in the same Marais flat until 1942 when French authorities wrenched Jewish citizens from their homes during the notorious Vél d'Hiver Roundup (Julia's daughter is only a year older). Unbeknownst to anyone but her parents, Sarah locked up her 4-year-old brother in a hidden closet in hopes of returning to set him free him later, but the trio ends up in a transit camp en route to Auschwitz. Sarah will eventually escape, but the years to come will not be easy. In adapting Tatiana de Rosnay's novel, director Gilles Paquet-Brenner, the son of a deportee, moves back and forth between Sarah and Julia, who finds out she's pregnant in the midst of trips to Florence and New York, but Bertrand doesn't share her joy. A French farmer (A Prophet's Niels Arestrup) and a food writer (Aidan Quinn) also figure into Sarah's story, which merges with Julia's as she finds a way to carry on her legacy. Much as in Julie and Julia, the past proves more compelling than the present, though Scott Thomas holds the narrative together with the force of her talent. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Product Description
Julia Jarmond (Kristin Scott Thomas), an American journalist married to a Frenchman, is commissioned to write an article about the notorious Vel d’Hiv round up, which took place in Paris, in 1942. She stumbles upon a family secret which will link her forever to the destiny of a young Jewish girl, Sarah. Julia learns that the apartment she and her husband Bertrand plan to move into was acquired by Bertrand’s family when its Jewish occupants were dispossessed and deported 60 years before. She resolves to find out what happened to the former occupants: Wladyslaw and Rywka Starzynski, parents of 10-year-old Sarah and four-year-old Michel. The more Julia discovers - especially about Sarah, the only member of the Starzynski family to survive - the more she uncovers about Bertrand’s family, about France and, finally, herself.
Sarah’s Key is based on the book by Tatiana de Rosnay.
Sarah’s Key is based on the book by Tatiana de Rosnay.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
92 of 104 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The story of a 1942 Jewish family being evicted from their home in Paris and sent to a camp is interwoven with the plot of a modern-day reporter trying to determine what happened to the little girl in the family. Scenes of the fate of Jewish people at the time are always powerful to watch, with this one being no exception. The anguish of families being separated is realistically portrayed, but their eventual fate is not depicted. The story revolves around the little girl, Sarah, trying to determine the fate of her brother. The other story features the always good Kristin-Scott Thomas, doing a story on the eviction of Jews from Paris, and focusing on understanding the fate that befell Sarah. This is a powerful film that will captivate the viewer.
73 of 83 people found the following review helpful
By BLACKBOXBLUE
Format:Blu-ray
FILM RATING: 4 stars
The best movie I've seen in 2011 so far is Sarah's Key (2010). This French-English import is one of those little "sleeper" movies that totally surprises you and blows you away when you see it. Sarah's Key has a very emotional core to it that really looks into the human condition from multiple perspectives. And it searches for the "truth" within. This is a movie much in the vein of Schindler's List (1993), The Pianist (2002), The Reader (2008), and The English Patient (1996). It's not exactly "light" fare. But it's also not quite as dark as Schindler's List or The Pianist. I found the weaving of the two main story lines, one past and one present, to be perfect. It's not always easy for a filmmaker to pull together past and present set stories, with actors playing the same character at various ages, but director Gilles Paquet-Brenner found a way to do it brilliantly. And the same can be said for the way he weaves together both French and English languages into the movie. I never felt like I was "working" to follow the dialogue through reading subtitles. Granted, the movie is only partially subtitled. Parts of it are in English and parts are in French.
The story centers around the events of the French round-up of its own Jewish citizens in July 1942. That's right...the French, not the Germans. Of course I'm sure the French were feeling pressure from the Germans during the time. And yet it's hard to overlook the fact that the French were just as guilty of genocide as the Germans and Russians. One can truly understand why there was a "World" war at this time. Sarah's Key is simply sharing another piece of the puzzle that we've been reluctant to look at until recently because of how ugly the puzzle is. The impact of this ugly mindset at the time spreading from country to country across the globe must have been like a virus, gradually infecting each host and getting them from within. The opening scenes with the capture of Sarah's family and their move to an internment camp at Auschwitz are gripping to say the least. Sarah, played brilliantly by young actress Mélusine Mayance, makes a choice on how to save her younger brother from the horrors she anticipates will fall upon them. But that choice has consequences, as we soon find out. I don't want to give too much of the story away, since it is much better to let the movie unfold it for you.
Kristin Scott Thomas plays a modern journalist, investigating this historic incident, while at the same time unravelling a very personal and ironic connection to it. The film does require that you let go of what could be too "coincidental" for reality. But remember, this is a fictional movie at the end of the day, inspired by real events. And movies by their very nature, are contrived to some degree. I never found myself getting lost in my mind thinking about how unrealistic some of the story arcs were. Instead, I simply felt emotionally engaged in the suspenseful and thrilling discovery of all of the secrets that Sarah's Key possesses. And I credit all of the talented artists who contributed to making that possible in this film. The writing, editing, cinematography, production design, acting, music and sound are top notch for this small indie film rumored to be made for less than $10 million. Sarah's Key is an amazing accomplishment for so little money, and a reminder to Hollywood that it's not the size of the budget of a movie that really matters for its quality. To me its the assembly and collaboration of many talented people unified to tell a great story.
There are two scenes that really stand out for me in the film. The first being the opening with Sarah and her brother tickling and giggling with each other under the covers in bed. The director is clearly showing us the innocent fun times of childhood. The camera work there and that little slice of "happy" to start the film with are an incredible contrast to the darker more "adult" tone of the rest of the film. The second scene that really caught my eye is when Sarah and a fellow young female companion are floating in a murky, muddy river, cleansing themselves. Both of these scenes are just small, idealized, dreamy cinematic sequences that on their own, offer needed artistic moments of escape from the story. Within any horrific context, there's always still something beautiful to be discovered and seen if one looks for it. And director Paquet-Brenner shares that.
Music composer Max Richter has created an unbelievably perfect music score for Sarah's Key that not only elevates the film, but is an incredible work to listen to all on its own. The score has mostly a classic sound to it, but Richter also incorporates bits of modern music composition and style as well. It's one of the best film scores I've heard in years. Within the film, the score gives many scenes their emotional gravity, as is typically the case. But something about Richter's music here stands out from the typical score. And you'll know it when you hear it.
I could spend a lot more time discussing the themes, ideas and incredible filmmaking prowess present in Sarah's Key, but I firmly believe in letting movies speak for themselves as well. I've given you a little to chew on and hopefully inspire you to see this film, even though on the surface (or by its book cover), Sarah's Key looks like a "heavy" film. I challenge you to watch it and grab on to it in some manner. It's movies like this that really give cinema its name. And I'm glad to see that we are still making these films, especially within the broader worldwide cinematic context we are now within.
At the end of Sarah's Key, my eyes were red from the tears that flowed throughout the film. And my mind was speechless as I just embraced the very strong emotional connection I felt with the story and the film. I'm personally always looking for movies that can give me that kind of experience. Don't get me wrong, I love the epic, action-filled extravaganzas like Inception (2010) and Saving Private Ryan (1998) as well. But it's small films like Sarah's Key that more often fill my cinematic diet now with the nutrition that I need.
The best movie I've seen in 2011 so far is Sarah's Key (2010). This French-English import is one of those little "sleeper" movies that totally surprises you and blows you away when you see it. Sarah's Key has a very emotional core to it that really looks into the human condition from multiple perspectives. And it searches for the "truth" within. This is a movie much in the vein of Schindler's List (1993), The Pianist (2002), The Reader (2008), and The English Patient (1996). It's not exactly "light" fare. But it's also not quite as dark as Schindler's List or The Pianist. I found the weaving of the two main story lines, one past and one present, to be perfect. It's not always easy for a filmmaker to pull together past and present set stories, with actors playing the same character at various ages, but director Gilles Paquet-Brenner found a way to do it brilliantly. And the same can be said for the way he weaves together both French and English languages into the movie. I never felt like I was "working" to follow the dialogue through reading subtitles. Granted, the movie is only partially subtitled. Parts of it are in English and parts are in French.
The story centers around the events of the French round-up of its own Jewish citizens in July 1942. That's right...the French, not the Germans. Of course I'm sure the French were feeling pressure from the Germans during the time. And yet it's hard to overlook the fact that the French were just as guilty of genocide as the Germans and Russians. One can truly understand why there was a "World" war at this time. Sarah's Key is simply sharing another piece of the puzzle that we've been reluctant to look at until recently because of how ugly the puzzle is. The impact of this ugly mindset at the time spreading from country to country across the globe must have been like a virus, gradually infecting each host and getting them from within. The opening scenes with the capture of Sarah's family and their move to an internment camp at Auschwitz are gripping to say the least. Sarah, played brilliantly by young actress Mélusine Mayance, makes a choice on how to save her younger brother from the horrors she anticipates will fall upon them. But that choice has consequences, as we soon find out. I don't want to give too much of the story away, since it is much better to let the movie unfold it for you.
Kristin Scott Thomas plays a modern journalist, investigating this historic incident, while at the same time unravelling a very personal and ironic connection to it. The film does require that you let go of what could be too "coincidental" for reality. But remember, this is a fictional movie at the end of the day, inspired by real events. And movies by their very nature, are contrived to some degree. I never found myself getting lost in my mind thinking about how unrealistic some of the story arcs were. Instead, I simply felt emotionally engaged in the suspenseful and thrilling discovery of all of the secrets that Sarah's Key possesses. And I credit all of the talented artists who contributed to making that possible in this film. The writing, editing, cinematography, production design, acting, music and sound are top notch for this small indie film rumored to be made for less than $10 million. Sarah's Key is an amazing accomplishment for so little money, and a reminder to Hollywood that it's not the size of the budget of a movie that really matters for its quality. To me its the assembly and collaboration of many talented people unified to tell a great story.
There are two scenes that really stand out for me in the film. The first being the opening with Sarah and her brother tickling and giggling with each other under the covers in bed. The director is clearly showing us the innocent fun times of childhood. The camera work there and that little slice of "happy" to start the film with are an incredible contrast to the darker more "adult" tone of the rest of the film. The second scene that really caught my eye is when Sarah and a fellow young female companion are floating in a murky, muddy river, cleansing themselves. Both of these scenes are just small, idealized, dreamy cinematic sequences that on their own, offer needed artistic moments of escape from the story. Within any horrific context, there's always still something beautiful to be discovered and seen if one looks for it. And director Paquet-Brenner shares that.
Music composer Max Richter has created an unbelievably perfect music score for Sarah's Key that not only elevates the film, but is an incredible work to listen to all on its own. The score has mostly a classic sound to it, but Richter also incorporates bits of modern music composition and style as well. It's one of the best film scores I've heard in years. Within the film, the score gives many scenes their emotional gravity, as is typically the case. But something about Richter's music here stands out from the typical score. And you'll know it when you hear it.
I could spend a lot more time discussing the themes, ideas and incredible filmmaking prowess present in Sarah's Key, but I firmly believe in letting movies speak for themselves as well. I've given you a little to chew on and hopefully inspire you to see this film, even though on the surface (or by its book cover), Sarah's Key looks like a "heavy" film. I challenge you to watch it and grab on to it in some manner. It's movies like this that really give cinema its name. And I'm glad to see that we are still making these films, especially within the broader worldwide cinematic context we are now within.
At the end of Sarah's Key, my eyes were red from the tears that flowed throughout the film. And my mind was speechless as I just embraced the very strong emotional connection I felt with the story and the film. I'm personally always looking for movies that can give me that kind of experience. Don't get me wrong, I love the epic, action-filled extravaganzas like Inception (2010) and Saving Private Ryan (1998) as well. But it's small films like Sarah's Key that more often fill my cinematic diet now with the nutrition that I need.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Story Lived Versus A Story Told: A Powerful Story Related Two Ways
November 8, 2011
Format:Blu-ray
Part of the dangers inherent in adapting a wildly popular and beloved novel is that if you miss the mark, even in the slightest, you risk antagonizing a core audience that will be brutal in its appraisal. "Sarah's Key" is such a story. This adaptation of Tatiana De Rosnay's memorable bestseller, however, strikes the right balance which should appease both fans of the novel and new viewers alike. This is an impeccably mounted production that straddles contemporary drama with mysteries from the past. As the first half of the picture unfolded, I truly felt as if I were seeing one of the most effective and affecting films of the year. It is that good. Once a pivotal moment is reached in the story, however, the narrative momentum takes a sharp turn and the movie loses some of its dramatic imperative. Don't get me wrong, it's still a solid feature--but the first hour is so good, the second half pales a bit in comparison.
The plot drives you forward with the fascinating and harrowing story of a young girl named Sarah set amidst the round-up of Jews in 1942 France. Sarah's tale is intercut with modern sequences in which Kristin Scott Thomas plays a journalist about to inhabit an apartment once occupied by Sarah's family. Scott Thomas becomes intrigued by the history of the residence as her husband's family acquired the property late in 1942. This leads her to be obsessed in finding out the truth of the those that were forced to give up the apartment. While Scott Thomas is terrific, it is Sarah's tale that really resonates. Sent to the camps, divided from her family, desperate to find her brother--I was captivated, horrified, and excited by her journey. She is a great character leading the viewer on a devastating path. A moment halfway through the story stands as one of the highpoints in film this year. But after that moment, Sarah all but disappears from the film. Instead of being a pivotal lead, she becomes more of an enigma. And the focus shifts firmly to Scott Thomas tracking down the girl. This mystery element is fine, and has its moments, but nothing compares to Sarah's own voice.
The difference between the first half of the film and the second is like night and day. One is a story lived, one is a story told. It is a dichotomy that is also showcased in the novel, but I didn't feel the void left by Sarah's absence so astutely on the page. Melusine Mayance is unforgettable as the young Sarah, and Scott Thomas is at the top of her game. Whether or not you've read the novel, this is an easy recommendation. It is top tier filmmaking for adult audiences. The first hour of "Sarah's Key" is burned into my brain! I would rate the film in two parts: 5 stars for the first half, 4 stars for the second half. So, for me, this ranks at 4 1/2 stars which I will gladly round up for its power and scope. Check it out! KGHarris, 11/11.
The plot drives you forward with the fascinating and harrowing story of a young girl named Sarah set amidst the round-up of Jews in 1942 France. Sarah's tale is intercut with modern sequences in which Kristin Scott Thomas plays a journalist about to inhabit an apartment once occupied by Sarah's family. Scott Thomas becomes intrigued by the history of the residence as her husband's family acquired the property late in 1942. This leads her to be obsessed in finding out the truth of the those that were forced to give up the apartment. While Scott Thomas is terrific, it is Sarah's tale that really resonates. Sent to the camps, divided from her family, desperate to find her brother--I was captivated, horrified, and excited by her journey. She is a great character leading the viewer on a devastating path. A moment halfway through the story stands as one of the highpoints in film this year. But after that moment, Sarah all but disappears from the film. Instead of being a pivotal lead, she becomes more of an enigma. And the focus shifts firmly to Scott Thomas tracking down the girl. This mystery element is fine, and has its moments, but nothing compares to Sarah's own voice.
The difference between the first half of the film and the second is like night and day. One is a story lived, one is a story told. It is a dichotomy that is also showcased in the novel, but I didn't feel the void left by Sarah's absence so astutely on the page. Melusine Mayance is unforgettable as the young Sarah, and Scott Thomas is at the top of her game. Whether or not you've read the novel, this is an easy recommendation. It is top tier filmmaking for adult audiences. The first hour of "Sarah's Key" is burned into my brain! I would rate the film in two parts: 5 stars for the first half, 4 stars for the second half. So, for me, this ranks at 4 1/2 stars which I will gladly round up for its power and scope. Check it out! KGHarris, 11/11.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sarh's Key - the movie
As usual. the video is not as good as reading the book, but it followed the book very nicely. I enjoyed it and have shared with friends.
Published 2 days ago by Joyce Cooper
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but the book is much better.
I read the book and greatly enjoyed it. It was fast reading and very touching. But, if you don't read the book 1st, you are missing a lot by only viewing the movie. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Robert C. Bostwick
3.0 out of 5 stars
Important story but preferred the book
I am trying to write this without including spoilers...
I would recommend the movie because it is a good story and because I am always a fan of Kristin Scott Thomas! Read more
I would recommend the movie because it is a good story and because I am always a fan of Kristin Scott Thomas! Read more
Published 24 days ago by Gesa Cowell
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent film
Good story and was very moved. The movie is realistic but at least there is closure. Very intrigued with movies from an awful time in our history. Read more
Published 24 days ago by SSG
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heartfelt story
This movie made me want to go visit Paris and where it all took place. It was sad and very touching. I enjoyed the movie and the book!
Published 1 month ago by Angela
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chilling story
I watched the movie after having read the book. This story is very eye-opening and is a reminder of the atrocious things that happened during the Nazi regime. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Justwannaread!
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Common Historical Story Told in an Uncommon Way
This is a story of Compassion vs. Inhumanity. It has been repeated throughout history mostly to Jews but also people of other faiths and races. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Joshua Peterson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Movie - But No Real Suspense
Kristin Scott-Thomas plays a American journalist married to a French man living in Paris. They are trying to find more space for their crowded family and eventually dedcide to... Read more
Published 2 months ago by thornhillatthemovies.com
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie
Great movie, compeling story. Pulls at your heart strings. Did not disappoint, although I had read the book. A must see.
Published 2 months ago by lucrezia Frechette
5.0 out of 5 stars
A moving story
A very moving drama, based on actual facts. Very well played by Sarah (the child) and Kristin Scott Thomas. I have given both the book and the DVD to many of my family and friends
Published 2 months ago by L. N. J. Joosten
