Irena's Vow (2023)

Irena's Vow (2023). 2h 1m | R

“Irena is a Polish woman caught in the early stages of Nazi occupation, enlisted to work for the new regime, who after witness to the horrors unleashed against the local Jews, decides to do everything in her power to save the victims. That is her vow. And this is her astounding true story.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePresented more as a theatre piece than movie, u0026quot;Irenau0026#39;s Vowu0026quot; seldom moves outdoors, save for a few market square scenes, focusing mainly on interiors, where Irena keeps mansion for a high ranking officer, and keeps a group of Jews hidden in the cellar.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe grit, grime and scuffy realities of war are absent here, as everything focuses on the characters and the carefully orchestrated set pieces. The clean and simple play presentation makes for a distancing film experience, which slowly dissolves as the story picks up the pace. And the story is the star here.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eScrambling to avoid detection under the enemyu0026#39;s roof, Irena shows cool resolve, clever problem solves, and total dedication to her cause. The surface sheen of the movie which never digs far enough to get a good grip on the characters, is finally broken with the post film credits, that feature photos and historic summaries of the aftermath. Then it finally hits home.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu003culu003eu003cliu003ehipCRANK.u003c/liu003eu003c/ulu003e”