Kalmans Geheimnis

¨Left Luggage¨ is an interesting drama about human relationships , humanism but also tragedy . While getting away from Germans during the WWII, a Jewish man named Mr. SilberSchmidt (Maximilian Schell)- married an understanding woman (Mariane Sagebrecht)- dug baggage full of precious objects dear to his heart in the soil. The war deprived him of his parents and brothers, and nowadays , Amberes 1972, he endlessly seeks underground to encounter the luggage. His daughter named Chaya (Laura Frazer) is a likable young girl opposed to the observant Jewish and she is seeking a part-time job. Thanks Yakov (Chaim Topol) she encounters a job as a nanny in the strictly observant Chassidic family formed by a rigid father (Jeroen Krabbe) and a mother (Isabella Rossellini) with five children . One of the reasons Chaya is accepted is that mother of the family is absolutely overburdened by the homework, so she stays in spite of the family head's wrath. She establishes a special relationship to the four-year old Simcha, so far incapable of speaking. Chaya teaches him while walking in the park, and Simcha suddenly imitates the duck's sounds and after he will be able to chant parts of the Haggadah. In the building the Jewish family and Chaya are continuously harassed by the porter (David Bradley).

This thought-provoking film deals with human feelings , love , compassion , sufferings, anti-semitism, familiar environments and many other things . Extraordinary casting who gives very good performances , as Laura Frazer as the young who develops a special bond with the youngest of the boys, Maximilian Schell as obsessed old man who looks for checking old maps and keeps digging, attempting to encounter his ancient suitcases, David Bailey as nasty pathetic anti-Semite caretaker , a repulsive porter who puts constant difficulties to Chassidic family and also for Chaya ; and of course Isabella Rossellini as understanding mother with some secular manners who faces his strict husband . This marvelous and warm film is stunningly directed by Jeroen Krabbe . Jeroen is a prestigious Dutch actor who has only directed two films with quite success and dramatics , this one and ¨The discovery of heaven¨ , both of then he also acted . Rating : Better than average. Worthwhile watching

There are movies about the tension between secular and religious Jews, and movies about Holocaust survivors. This one is both.

Chaiyah, a Jewish college-aged woman in Antwerp, Belgium, couldn't care less about her family's stories, and she finds the Chasidim to be particularly weird. A child of the sexual revolution, she's concerned with having a good time.

Through a family friend, she finds a job as a nanny for a Chasidic family. Although she's ready to quit the first day, she quickly develops a — no, a kinship — with the youngest boy with severe emotional difficulties. The boy, Simcha, can't speak, even though he's four, and when he's under pressure, he wets himself. Chaiyah brings him out. He begins talking, and even sings the Mah Nishtanah at the Seder.

The film shows us reasons for the Chasidic father's seeming aloofness to the youngest son, overt and less than overt anti-Semitism in Europe ("You don't look Jewish.") , and the ways the older generation has of dealing or coping with the past.

As the film progresses, Chaiyah becomes bonded with her people, which I think is the meaning of the final scene.

Some of the scenes can't really be appreciated without an understanding of Jewish culture and practice. I think this is particularly true of one of the late scenes between the two main women characters. It really floored me.

It's a real tear-jerker, but it's not without its happy moments.

Saw this wonderful film at the Chicago Film Festival. Cast was excellent, story was thought-provoking...but the best element was the inspired direction by actor Jeroen Krabbe. It was truly visual poetry, and gut-wrenching at that.

You have to like this kind of movies to fully appreciate this movie. It's a typical character drama, meaning that there is not really a story, in terms of having a beginning and an end, with in between a story that connects the beginning with the end but it more has a story that slowly and realistically develops, making the events in this movie realistic, documentary like occurrences.

The movie really relies on its characters, with a good result. The actors are all in top form and there are some well known names present in this movie, such as Oscar winner and multiple nominee Maximilian Schell, Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee Isabella Rossellini and also Academy Award nominee Topol, who in this movie is credited with his birth name Chaim Topol, an obvious Jewish name. Topol is perhaps best known to the general public for playing Milos Columbo in the James Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only" or for his role in the cult camp-classic "Flash Gordon". Also director Jeroen Krabbé himself plays a solid part in the movie, as well as the main character, played by the beautiful, talented, young and sadly (still) mostly unknown Laura Fraser.

The way the story is slowly told and developed is done nicely. It gives the movie a true heart and soul and gives the characters and events some real good emotions. The story focuses mainly on the first generation of Jews born after WW II. The emotions by the parents are still present and fresh, while the children just want to move on and don't want to look back at the past. As the story develops the perspective of the youth, through the eyes of the main character Chaya on the past and the Jewish culture changes of course.

The drama is strong and the story is solid. It however is obvious at times that Jeroen Krabbé isn't the most experienced movie director around. There are some minor weaknesses in the directing of some sequences but all in all most certainly not a bad directing debut for Krabbé, who will most likely grow more and more stronger in the near future with his directing skills.

And for the ones who are interested; The Nino this movie is dedicated to, was the nearly 2 year old baby boy of the screenwriter of this movie Edwin de Vries and well known Dutch actress Monique van de Ven, who died of meningitis.

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

The movie starts with a father telling his young daughter Chaya the story of how he had to escape from the Germans carrying everything he had in only two suitcases. Eventually, he had to bury the suitcases because he couldn't carry them any more as he kept running from place to place.

The loud rock music and the protests reminiscent of 1960s America tell us times have changed. And despite the somber opening, the movie takes a comic turn rather quickly, though it is far from a comedy.

In 1972 Antwerp, Chaya is a sweet, pretty 20-year-old philosophy student who does have a temper when riled. She quits her latest job at a restaurant after a prank (if you don't care for 'Fear Factor' and you have the ability to fast-forward, use it here).

Chaya visits her parents and finds out her father has still not given up on finding his suitcases. He has a map, but the area has changed so much. She is getting tired of hearing the story. Meanwhile, her kindly mother continues baking cakes. We also find out later she is making waterproof blankets with a loom.

With her landlady frustrated about all the delays with receiving rent money, Chaya must find a job soon. Mr. Apfelschnitt knows of a job as a nanny with a Hasidic family, the Kalmans. Chaya, despite being Jewish by birth, claims to hate Jews (though she is good friends with Mr. Apfelschnitt, who wears a yarmulke). But her desperation leads her to try.

Hasidic Jews are like the Amish and the Mennonites in Christianity--very strict, shunning many modern conveniences. And the minute she arrives at the third-floor apartment, Mrs. Kalman starts explaining those rules. Her husband's bedroom is off-limits, for example. And Chaya should dress like a woman; she is wearing jeans. Among the family's five children is Simcha, who is four but has never talked, but he and Chaya immediately make a connection.

The rules become too much for Chaya and she quits, but she accidentally takes something with her that belongs to the Kalmans, and she must return it. When she sees Simcha again, she knows she can't leave.

Chaya must work through the difficulties of life in the Hasidic culture, among other problems. One of her obstacles is the evil concierge, who constantly claims the elevator is out of order. In fact, he hates Jews with a passion and doesn't want them to ride it. He calls them lazy, ranting about how HE has to work. His only friend seems to be his dog. The concierge's evil behavior provides the film with many of its comic moments.

Eventually, Chaya makes a breakthrough with Simcha, as Annie Sullivan did. But her modern attitude is out of place here, and her desire to see people treated with respect is not appreciated. Also, she is called a 'Gomer' (meaning harlot, though a stronger word was used) when she finally dresses like a woman. In 1972, a lot of women wore scandalously short skirts.

A tragedy threatens to keep this movie from having a happy ending. The event does offer more insights into Hasidic culture, though, and leads to some good acting and writing. The last scene with dialogue is a happy and even humorous one, though, but this is followed by depressing music and scenery that reminds us of change.

If this movie had been done in the language of the people depicted, I believe it would have been worthy of a foreign-language Oscar. Being in English, it probably had too much competition that was better-known. But Laura Fraser did a fine job as Chaya. She showed such charm and such determination, and effectively showed us many emotions.

Adam Monty made an immediate impression as the young Simcha, giving a winning performance even without saying a word, and still impressing once he talked. The movie's best scenes were those with him and Chaya.

Topol also did a fine job as Mr. Apfelschnitt. Everyone in a leading role gave a good performance--Maximilian Schell as Chaya's father, Isabella Rossellini as the Hasidic mother particularly. I will also single out Jeroen Krabbe as the Hasidic father, who could be loving and even happy despite his often strict and often angry demeanor. But his best moment came as he described what happened to his family during World War II.

I also must mention David Bradley as the concierge, who actually showed a human side.

Was this a family movie? Perhaps. There were a few dirty words, and references to the promiscuity of Chaya's roommate, but maybe this was not any worse than two episodes of '7th Heaven'. There was also a skinny-dipping scene with Chaya and her roommate, but we didn't really get to see anything (unless this was edited for TV).

There are references to the Holocaust, and one really scary moment with the concierge, though it is followed by the funniest moment in the movie.

The educational value of the film may outweigh other considerations. We learn a lot more about the Hasidic than I ever knew, and as depicted here, they are not the uptight people some believe them to be, despite all their rules.

This was an outstanding effort.