Overly sanitised telling of the true story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski, owners of the Warsaw Zoo who saved the lives of more than 300 Polish Jews in World War II.
A leaden script and pan-European casting (along with Jessica Chastain) doesn’t help a turgid, uninspiring narrative. Director Niki Caro noticeably misses the storytelling boat – somewhat unforgivable considering the source material.
Rating: 42%
Director: Niki Caro (North Country, Whale Rider)
Writer: Angela Workman (War Bride, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) – based on the book by Diane Ackerman
Main cast: Jessica Chastain (The Help, Zero Dark Thirty), Johan Heldenbergh (The Broken Circle Breakdown, The Brand New Testament), Daniel Brühl (Alone in Berlin, Rush)
An Opinion or Two 