The Grey Zone Review by Zara (3.5 Stars)

The Grey Zone Review by Zara (3.5 Stars) | MatchFlick

Steal of the Day

National Lampoon's Vacation:20th Ann Ed./National Lampoon's European Vac DV
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Movie Details

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Directed By
Tim Blake Nelson

Written By:
Tim Blake Nelson, Miklos Nyiszli

Cast:
David Arquette, Daniel Benzali, Allan Corduner, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Velizar Binev, David Chandler, Michael Stuhlbarg, George Zlatarev, Henry Stram, Dimitar Ivanov, Henry Stram

The Grey Zone (2001)

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Movie Review by Zara

May 21st, 2007

Interesting but flawed

Based on true events, yeah yeah. Not to sound crass but sometimes I wonder just how many stories there are to tell stemming from the second World War and all of the inhumanity that went on. As far as movies go, there seems to be a never ending well.

This was about situation that I was unaware of. Most of the Jews who were burned at the concentration camps were actually talked through their procedure not by the Nazis but by fellow Jews. The Germans set up groups whose responsibilities included talking them through the "delousing" and "showers" (really just the process of sending them to the gas chambers), then were responsible for the burning and disposal of the bodies. In exchange for doing this work, they were granted extensions on their lives, all of which lasted approximately 4 months. There were 13 units who did this. The 12th unit, as featured in this movie, is the one that rebelled, gathering guns and fuel and blowing up the crematoriums.

The main problem with the movie (aside from the f*cking sh*tty sound editing where the dialog is almost impossible to hear in spots) is that in an attempt to sell the story they hired too many well known actors. Granted, these are not top name stars, but I think most people know how to spot David Arquette and Steve Buscemi when they see them.

The other problem associated with having these well known faces is that they were all allowed to talk in their natural speaking voices. Aside from Harvey Keitel gaining a barely passable German accent, everyone sounds as you would know them to. (Which, in the case of Steve Buscemi, should not be in a movie about WWII.)

David Arquette is actually surprisingly good here. That's a big plus from the man who I associate more with being the obnoxious DJ who wanted to stay kidnapped in AIRHEADS. (Oddly enough, another Buscemi flick)

All in all, this is an interesting movie to watch but it is very difficult to look past the actors. I'm not sure if it would have been more effective had there been unknown actors in it or if everyone had adopted the proper accents. *shrug*

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	Zombie Boy May 21, 2007 7:58 AM
I've never heard of this one, but I am fascinated by Nazism. Not in an glorifying way, but in a watching a c*ckroach die kind of way. Disgusted but can't look away kind of way. And Tim Blake Nelson was so fabulous in O Brother Where Art Thou. Flaws aside, I'll be checking this one out. Thanks :)

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