With an intriguing true story and a notable team behind the camera, it was disappointing at the average execution throughout. Starting off, Ben Foster as the title character is brilliant in his portrayal. He brought a brutally raw and emotional depiction of a survivor of Auschwitz as well as the side effects of what those events could do to a person. The scenes that took place in the past were horrifying in their depiction. The cinematography and camera work allowed the feelings of each character to be present throughout. It was also enlightening to aspects of the Holocaust that haven't been fully explored in a film. However, where the film brilliantly succeeds in some areas, it sadly fails in others. The film feels as though it was split into two parts, having an intriguing first half, while the duration of the movie after feels unneeded. It made what could have been a great film, drawn out longer than it needs to be, making it at times boring to watch. There are also technical elements of the film that could have easily been fixed to make the film have more of an artistic edge. While there are minor spurts within the narrative, the majority of the film has a bland feel to it. Overall, where the film has plenty of brilliant aspects, it ultimately falters in an overly long runtime and bland execution, making for an experience that sadly has more ambition than it can offer.
