A slow-burning melodrama in which an elderly dementia victim who survived the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp goes on the hunt for one of the camp’s commanders. The first half is s-l-o-o-o-o-o-w and can be summarized by this: elderly man wanders. The movie picks up significantly, however, in its second half. Eighty-six-year-old Christopher Plummer, one of the greatest living actors (2021 Update: He has passed away since then), pulls us through the sluggish first half with his commanding performance as the frail protagonist. Being a great actor, he not only gives an immensely accurate portrayal of a dementia patient, but he also grabs us, pulls us in and keeps us captivated even when other parts of the movie do not. Because my own Mom suffers from dementia, I can attest to the accuracy of his performance. His lost, befuddled eyes contrast with the sharp, intelligent gaze of Martin Landau, also an excellent actor, who plays the role of another Auschwitz survivor living in the same nursing home as the protagonist. But this movie is about more than dementia; it’s about the “banality of evil,” revenge, justice (or the lack of it) and the long-lasting consequences of malice. The effects of this movie linger, perhaps because it deals with the reality of Nazi concentration camps and what that reality tells us about who we are and what we can become.

Not For Kids