A portion of this review was originally published in Nathaniel's column at Towleroad
Jessica Chastain stars as Antonina Zabinski, The Zookeeper's Wife, a true story based on the international bestseller of the same title. The Zabinski family run a lovingly crafted zoo in Warsaw but political unrest unnerves Jan Zabinski (Johan Heldenbergh) enough to attempt to send his wife and child away. Antonia, naive and endearingly devoted to her animals, won't have it. Then German bombs hit their attraction, killing many animals. Poland surrenders to Germany quickly. Much to the Zabinski’s horror they learn that their surviving animals will all be killed for meat to feed soldiers unless they can strike a deal with fellow zookeeper and now Nazi officer (Daniel Brühl, Hollywood’s go-to Germanic villain who isn’t named Christoph Waltz).
While working on this deal with the devil, Antonina and her husband begin a dangerous game, hiding Jews in their now empty zoo until they can figure out a way to get them out of Poland to (relative) safety in a world gone mad...
That's the set up to this effortlessly involving if not quite exciting World War II drama. It's difficult to say what crucial spark is missing as the movie is well acted and handsomely made.
Chastain anchors the drama and tearjerking moments abound. The star's elegant subtle arc, from soft guileless naivety to resilient sneakiness is the main attraction but not the only one. The animal trainers deserve special kudos with many scenes that most have been very difficult to shoot given the proximity of the actors to the wild animals, interacting directly with them with no stunt doubling or CGI noticeable. The supporting cast is full of international actors doing good work. Chief among them is the 21 year-old Israeli actress Shira Haas (Princess, a Tale of Love and Darkness) who is gripping as a young Jew who has been raped by German soldiers. She and Chastain elevate their quiet shared scene into the movie's most delicately anguished moment. The cuddly bunny they take turns holding can't even steal the scene away!
Though the Holocaust genre is exceedingly well worn at the movies, recent worldwide events and political movements have reminded us that we still need to keep learning its sobering lessons; the politics of hate and the dehumanizing of scapegoated minorities remain a real threat to peace in the world. Though The Zookeeper’s Wife doesn’t reinvent the wheel on this genre, the setting is, at least, a fresh one. The emotional pull of nature, through purring lion cubs, cuddly bunnies, and majestic beasts of all kinds is definitely felt. And then, even more powerfully, comes its haunting absence. The animal backdrop brings first an unexpected softness and then an alien undertow to an otherwise familiar but ever harrowing story.
Grade: B
Oscar Chances: Doubtful given its first quarter release and another upcoming World War II drama likely to become a huge Oscar focus (Dunkirk)