REVIEW: 'Winter in Wartime'

A Dutch coming-of-age drama set during the final winter of World War II. Opens Thursday, April 15.

--------------------------------------------------

There has recently been a steady influx of movies from Europe dealing with Nazi occupation during World War II. Whilst the majority have focused on national mythmaking and regional heroes, Winter in Wartime is more focussed on creating an exciting story. For this reason, it’s the pick of the bunch.

Having a vulnerable, adolescent protagonist creates a heightened sense of danger and the wartime setting provides an edge to his loss of innocence. The supporting roles change their nature in a way that seems impressively organic and natural.

The cold, European winter setting has enough specifics to give the action a sense of time and place but is general enough to function as a poetic backdrop. The final plot twist acts as the catalyst for an edge-of-your-seat finale, one of several exciting set pieces.

A massive success in its native Netherlands, this film is unlikely to repeat that popularity here but will be a treat for fans of war movies and intelligent, action-based filmmaking.

• More on Winter in Wartime (Oorlogswinter)