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| Movie Review: I Have Never Forgotten You (The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal) Alternate Title: Simon Said
Story: Simon Wiesenthal
said he would track down and bring Nazi War Criminals to justice and
that is just what he did from the moment he got out of the concentration
camps to his death at age 96. He was a remarkable man and I wish this
film was as inspiring as his life story. Directed by Richard
Trank and written by Marvin Hier and Richard
Trank the film is sadly, run of the mill, with nothing original
to offer. That said, it is still a movie that should have
been made since it will hopefully introduce this passionate man to a
new audience. It is shown in chronological order with some great old
footage. His face held the sorrow of a people and he seemed to wear
the guilt of the world on his shoulders. Without Wiesenthal's steadfast
efforts I doubt that we would have a court in The Hague today. He was
directly responsible for the tracking down and bringing to justice such
names as Adolf Eichmann, Hernime Brausteiner, Franz Stangl,
Gustav Wagner Eduard and Roschmann. For those, like me, whose underlying mantra is
'never again' this film is for you. Check out the Simon Wiesenthal Center
here: http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp?c=fwLYKnN8LzH&b=242023 To find out more about this amazing man go to:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Wiesenthal.html
Acting: Nicole Kidman as the narrator is a
bit over the top. The archival interviews with Simon Wiesenthal are
the best part of the film.
Predilection: I support the Simon Wiesenthal Center,
who is responsible for bringing this film to life.
Soundtrack: Cloying
Theater Audience: A few theater goers.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: The Nazis are very squirmy.
Drift Factor: I started to look at my watch after
45 minutes.
Tissue Usage: I cried towards the end.
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: Unless you have a crying need
to see this film on the big screen, a rental would be fine. FYI - Ben
Kingsley portrayed Wiesenthal in the HBO film Murderers Among Us:
the Simon Wiesenthal Story based on his book. From Wikipedia on
Wiesenthal: The character of Yakov Liebermann (called Ezra Liebermann
in the film) in Ira Levin's novel The Boys from Brazil is modeled
on Wiesenthal. He was portrayed by the Israeli actor Shmuel Rodensky
in the film adaptation of Frederick Forsyth's The Odessa File, providing
information to a German journalist attempting to track down a Nazi war
criminal. In 1990, Martin Landau played Wiesenthal in the TV movie Max
and Helen.
Length: 105 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 5
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