Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key (2010) starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Melusine Mayance, Niels Arestrup. In the summer of 1942 in France, the authorities carry out a roundup of the Jews. Instinctively trying to save her little brother, Sarah locks him in a closet and keeps the key. Later, held in a detention camp, she is obsessed with the idea of going back and rescuing him from the closet. Meanwhile, in 2009, Julia (Thomas) -- a journalist -- investigates the same roundup and discovers that an apartment she is thinking of buying was once inhabited by a Jewish family. It all leads to a complicated mystery as she tries to track down whatever happened to Sarah. The final reveal is very good, and I found this movie's story quite moving. The disc features excellent subtitles -- English for the deaf and hard of hearing, both for when English is spoken and when French is spoken. Grade: A-

Schindler's List

Schindler's List (1993) starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Steven Spielberg. During World War II, German industrialist Oskar Schindler (Neeson) hires Jews to work in his war goods factory because they are cheaper than Poles. Only gradually does he begin to see his Jewish workers as human beings, whom he can save from Nazi death camps by keeping them employed in his business. There are many unforgettable scenes in this movie, which I regard as one of the best ever made about the Holocaust. Scratch that -- it is simply one of the best film's ever made, period. Powerful and moving, artfully made, it shows a facet of the history which we must never forget. The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. The subtitles are good; closed captions are not offered. Grade: A