Now playing IN HANOVER: Sarah’s Key
By The Dartmouth Arts Staff
Published on Monday, October 10, 2011
American journalist Julia Jarmond (Kristen Scott Thomas) learns that her husband’s grandparents’ apartment came into their possession during the Vel d’Hiv roundup, a mass arrest of Jews by the French during Nazi occupation. Julia digs into the apartment’s history and uncovers the story of Sarah (Mélusine Mayance), a girl who was 10 years old at the time of the roundup. Julia uncovers Sarah’s miraculous story of survival, which gives Julia the strength to get through the problems she’s having in her own life. —Varun Bhuchar
Directed by: Gilles Paquet-Brenner Starring: Thomas, Mayance, Niles Arestrup Runtime: 111 minutes Rated: PG-13
With “Sarah’s Key,” Paquet-Brenner offers a picturesque, emotive film about survival and hidden truths that only lacks in pacing. Adapted from a novel of the same name, the movie remains true to the book’s heart-rending material. However, the latter half of the movie tends to drag unnecessarily, occasionally giving into melodramatics, especially in the modern-day scenes. Nonetheless, the film paints a poignant portrait of a difficult time in France’s history. — Katie Tai For World War II movie enthusiasts, “Sarah’s Key” delivers. The hope, torment and loneliness that define Sarah’s mysterious life make for a captivating story, brought down only by occasional moments of poor acting and overly dramatized relationships. With such a weak connection between the two women, Sarah’s story turns into a life-changing family secret without justification. Despite this disconnect, “Sarah’s Key” is an engaging film worth watching. — Sarah Scully
“Sarah’s Key,” drama-packed in the beginning, slows down its pace after the film’s big secret is revealed. It is replete with heart-wrenching moments, but those are separated by long lulls of melancholy music and somewhat irrelevant plot additions. Sarah’s story is horrifying and magnetic. Julia’s, when juxtaposed, is less so. The meandering timeline of Julia’s journey keeps audience members on the edge of their seats, but the long-winded portrayal diminished the conviction of certain scenes. That said, both Thomas and Mayance delivered solid performances. — Jackie Wei