Movie Review: Irena's Vow
*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Review Wire Media for Quiver Distribution. I received a screener of this movie in order to facilitate this review. The opinions listed here, however, are my own.
all photos courtesy of: Quiver Distribution
I saw that Irena's Vow was going to be playing in theaters this upcoming week only (April 15th and 16th) and it looked like an interesting movie—I generally find World War II movies informative, albeit sad, of course.
About the movie:
Quiver Distribution will be partnering with Fathom Events for an exclusive nationwide cinema premier of Irena's Vow, the incredible true story of Irena Gut Opdyke, a Polish Catholic nurse whom, through extraordinary coverage, risked her life to help hide Jews persecuted by Nazi Germany during WWII.
The film debuts on April 15th and April 16th in theaters across the country. Each screening will be accompanied by exclusive video footage featuring Jeannie Smith, Irena's real-life daughter; Roman Haller, the baby that was conceived and born in captivity; Dan Gordon, the screenwriter and storyteller; Sophie Nélisse, the actress who portrays Irena; and the director herself, Louise Archambault.
My review:
I usually enjoy movies based on true stories, and this one was no exception. Irena Gut Opdyke (Sophie Nélisse), a Polish citizen, displayed extraordinary courage in World War II, hiding Jews in the house where she worked as a housekeeper for a Nazi major (played by Dougray Scott, whom I hadn't seen in a movie for a while now, and whom is in one of my favorite movies, Ever After).
Although Opdyke's character is Polish (and not a Polish Jew), she is put to work as a housekeeper, employed in the household of Major Rugmer (Scott). She is in training to be a nurse, and her motto is to save lives whenever possible; therefore, she takes in some Jewish citizens whom otherwise might have been sent to the camps, thus saving their lives.
Nélisse, in particular, was excellent in this film, as was the supporting cast, including Dougray Scott. Make sure to stay until the end of the movie, as well, to see clips and photos of the real Irena Gut Opdyke, and see how her actions affected the survivors and people who are still alive today. In addition, make sure to pack tissues—I'm not sure if it's because of the current climate, the story itself, or a one-two punch, but I definitely needed them near the end.
I would give Irena's Vow 3.5/5 stars, and in my opinion it's worth seeing. Check it out on April 15th or 16th if possible.
