Director: Niki Caro
By Alex Watson
While there are some emotional high points, director Niki Caro never finds a fine balance in The Zookeeper's Wife. A standout turn from Jessica Chastain is what keeps this picture together. Set against the Nazi invasion of Poland- there are some jarring images. Caro however, never seems sure whether to expand on these horrors or tell the tale of a loving wife protecting her animals? What should have been a poignant tale of a man and wife struggling to survive feels remarkably shallow on quality.
Antonina Zabinska (Jessica Chastain) lives a happy life running the Warsaw Zoo with husband Jan (Johan Heldenbergh). When the Nazi's invade, their lives are thrown into turmoil from the bombings. With their zoo depleted the husband and wife turn to another occupation- saving lives. Realising the danger Jewish citizens are in, the pair secretly shelters hundred of people. Antonina also catches the eye of ambitious Nazi zoologist Lutz Heck (Daniel Bruhl) which brings a great danger to all.
Caro starts The Zookeeper's Wife in dramatic form. Starting with a peaceful almost dreamlike opening, the love Antonina feels for her life is obvious and she cares as much for the animals as her family. When the zoo is devastated by a bombing raid, our hearts with the Zabinska's as the animal flee from their destroyed cages and roam the streets. Sadly, we never really get a proper insight into this family because Caro seems to dip in and out between a moving tearjerker and a picture that depicts the devastation of the invasion. Many parts of the couple's story are simply blacked out and often are left wondering precisely what is going on? For example, mid-movie Antonina suddenly gives birth to another child. Not once before do we ever hear a squeak about this.
You may think that this is Antonina's story, but in fact, Jan bears more of the stories weight. Forced to do the heavy lifting hiding Jewish citizen under garbage, each time he crosses the German checkpoint our pulses rise. Antonina also has her own problems as she is the one who has to hide the Jews during the day. A tough task considering Nazi patrols are around the zoo daily. During these sequences, there are chills to be had because the slightest noise could spell disaster. Lutz is at first the charming yet arrogant 'animal lover' whom claims to have no interest in politics. Big surprise he later turns up wearing a Nazi uniform. Although the picture's typical boo-hiss villain, his presence always ruffles feathers as his obvious attraction for Antonina shows through.
Caro does inject some moving images into The Zookeeper's Wife such as ash falling from the liquidated Warsaw ghetto or Jan reluctantly helping Jewish children onto a train. It's the lack of the depth into the Zabinska's that hinders its development. Rarely do we get a proper glimpse at the love or passion for this marriage. Caro also leaves far too many questions surrounding events and these unexplained passages frustrate us. The hardship the couple suffered during war-ravaged Poland is never in doubt, but we never really getting a feel for it either. The bravery that it took to hide away hundreds of people was insurmountable. Disappointingly the movie never takes full advantage of the danger present and the electricity in the air is constantly on low voltage.
Jessica Chastain is the main selling point of this picture and as always she gives a big heart. Antonina Zabinska is a woman trying to help everyone she can. Chastain plays this character with a purity of heart and she willing dives headfirst into danger. Johan Heldenbergh is noteworthy as the self-sacrificing Jan and his heartfelt turn makes him as a bigger star as the leading lady. It's the restraint he shows during the risk he takes that endear him. A cool head is required to outmanoeuvre people and Jan walks through fire more than once. Daniel Bruhl has a great presence as Heck but outside of making demands and acting threatening is drastically underused. After his turn in Civil War far more could have been made of this character.
The Zookeeper's Wife is a picture about remarkable courage and putting other human lives before our own. What the Zabinska's did during wartime is worthy of cinematic depiction- just a shame this movie doesn't do them justice.
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