THE GREY ZONE A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2002 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
THE GREY ZONE, written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson, tells a horrific true story set in a Nazi concentration camp. Its impressive images of crematorium chimney fires and stacks of dead bodies are undermined by the movie's presentation, which is way too stagy. The movie's staccato dialog might work in the theater -- Nelson based the script on his play -- but on the screen the acting becomes showy and not quite convincing. Only when the characters shut up and camera pulls back to let us witness the horror of the situation does the movie adequately reach its intended emotional impact.
The frequently confusing story concerns Jewish workers at the camp who are planning an uprising. Too much of the dialog is wasted on petty squabbles among Jews of various nationalities as they argue about when to revolt and what should be their goals -- destruction of the facility, escape or both.
The uniformly strong casting includes David Arquette, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Natasha Lyonne and Mira Sorvino. But the real star is cinematographer Russell Lee Fine who chillingly captures the feel of the death camps. It's too bad that the script never lives up to the visuals.
THE GREY ZONE runs 1:48. It is rated R for "strong holocaust violence, nudity and language" and would be acceptable for older teenagers.
The film, which played at the Toronto Film Festival, opens in the United States on Friday, October 18, 2002. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com
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