Rotten
Thomas carries the weight of the movie, and her usual sangfroid works against her; when she finally makes contact with the deported couple's grandson, the story crumples into sentimentality
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Overview
On the night of 16 July 1942, ten year old Sarah and her parents are being arrested and transported to the Velodrome d'Hiver in Paris where thousands of other jews are being sent to get deported. Sarah however managed to lock her little brother in a closet just before the police entered their apartment. Sixty years later, Julia Jarmond, an American journalist in Paris, gets the assignment to write an article about this raid, a black page in the history of France. She starts digging archives and through Sarah's file discovers a well kept secret about her own in-laws.
Director and cast
- Gilles Paquet-Brenner Director
- Kristin Scott Thomas as Julia Jarmond
- Niels Arestrup as Jules Dufaure
- Frédéric Pierrot as Bertrand Tezac
- Michel Duchaussoy as Edouard Tezac
- Dominique Frot as Genneviève Dufaure
- Mélusine Mayance as Sarah Starzynski
- Natasha Mashkevich as Mme Starzynski
- Gisèle Casadesus as Mamé
- Aidan Quinn as William Rainsferd
- Sarah Ber as Rachel
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
72%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Scott Thomas's portrayal of her character's emotional transition ensures Sarah's Key will keep your heart open.
Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail
Fresh
French director Paquet-Brenner occasionally yields to melodrama, particularly in the final act, but he is resolute about not depicting all of his countrymen as Nazi stooges, since many weren't.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Fresh
Thomas' performance is one of brilliant restraint and believable naturalism.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Fresh
It does provide audiences with the satisfaction of seeing and hearing an important truth expressed, and that's better than making you feel good. That's making you feel something.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
More films
The Ghost Writer (2010)
Mystery · Thriller · PG-13
A writer stumbles upon a long-hidden secret when he agrees to help former British Prime Minister Adam Lang complete his memoirs on a remote island after the politician's assistant drowns in a mysterious accident.
- Runtime
- 2h 8m
- Director
- Roman Polanski
- Cast
- Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Jon Bernthal
IMDb
7.2
Rotten Tomatoes
84%
Metacritic
77
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)
Drama · History · War · PG-13
When his family moves from their home in Berlin to a strange new house in Poland, young Bruno befriends Shmuel, a boy who lives on the other side of the fence where everyone seems to be wearing striped pajamas. Unaware of Shmuel's fate as a Jewish prisoner or the role his own Nazi father plays in his imprisonment, Bruno embarks on a da...
- Runtime
- 1h 34m
- Director
- Mark Herman
- Cast
- Asa Butterfield, Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis
IMDb
7.7
Rotten Tomatoes
65%
Metacritic
55
Julia (1977)
Drama · Romance · Thriller · PG
At the behest of an old and dear friend, playwright Lillian Hellman undertakes a dangerous mission to smuggle funds into Nazi Germany.
- Runtime
- 1h 57m
IMDb
7.4
Rotten Tomatoes
75%
Comments
Talk about the film with other members