Sarah's Key (1:51) 2011

Run. do not walk, to the theater near you showing Sarah's Key. Then be prepared to go home and take a nap. Sarah's Key is intense, emotionally powerful movie about the removal of 17,000 Jews in France in 1942.  This removal was not carried out by the Nazis but by their own countrymen. The movie is based on the book of the same name, which I didn't read. One of my friends who was part of today's movie going adventure had and remarked that the movie was true to the book. Julia, played by the fabulous Kristen Scott Thomas, is a journalist researching the Vel d'Hiv round up. As she researches, Julia comes across her husband's family' secret. Julia is determined to learn the fate of two Jewish children, Sarah and Michel Starzynski, whose names do not show up in camps or deportation lists. As Julia digs into the past, she touches the lives of her family, her husband's and Sarah's. This is an incredibly well acted movie by the entire case, both major and minor characters. The story is told in an enthralling manner, scenes from 1942 and present day interwoven. Special note need to be mentioned about the young star who played Sarah. Mélusine Mayance had some tough scenes and she is totally convincing. She is the main reason I needed to take a nap, I was there in 1942 with her. This is the best movie I've seen this calendar year. SEE IT.