Treasure

It's really refreshing to me seeing a movie that's just sincere. Nothing stylized or saccharine, just really powerful dialogue and story unfolding naturally while working on so many levels. It feels like this movie exists in the real world. I'm usually skeptical about fiction that incorporates the holocaust because sometimes it's used as an unnecessary gimmick, but every element about this story is vitally important. The conversations about processing generational trauma are breath-taking. The two lead actors, Lena and Stephen, really made me empathize with their characters and they both deserve Oscar nominations. Also, this is based on a true story and I love when movies based on true stories show photos of the real-life people during the credits.

This is a better , rawer version on Auschwitz travel.

Daughter drags dad, an actual survivor to seeing the the most remembered place of modern history. The opening is a good sample of what to expect, a daughter who actively researched the actual Nazi scripts on how the Jews are to be treated, and a Dad , a survivor who does not want to be there.

The contrast is extremely well handled through the few days of this journey. In contrast to the much acclaimed RESL PAIN, this story actually ventures into their old home taken away by force, with previous things , hence the title. You can't stop the burst of tears when the Dad hugs and reminisces the tragedy with his father's jacket. And the china, a crisp reminder of how well the community lived before being trashed. The best scene was when the dad calls of a mistake in the guide's narration of where the victims arrived , and finds the actual submerged rail tracks. Really heart-wrenching, if you are well into the story and the backdrop itself I wish this one more celebrated than the relatively shallow depiction in real pain,

I thought I wouldn't like it because of the Stephen Fry insert in such a serious movie. But boy was I wrong, and quick to judge!

If you're rating this less than a 6, I can only assume you're either a soursop or someone who prefers mass-market pop movies like those churned out by Marvel. This film offers so much more than surface-level entertainment; it has depth, originality, and craftsmanship that deserve recognition. While it might not cater to mainstream tastes, it's a refreshing alternative for those who appreciate cinema with substance and a unique voice. Don't overlook its brilliance just because it's not what you're used to seeing in big-budget blockbusters.

It challenges viewers to think deeply and engage with its narrative, rather than passively consume flashy visuals. This is a film made for those who appreciate cinema as an art in its purest form.

My husband is Polish and I've been to Poland many times. We saw the premise, and that it starred Stephen Fry, and so we decided to watch the film, as an opportunity to laugh at Stephen Fry. My husband is very particular when judging foreigners pretending to be Polish. When he saw Sophie's Choice he enquired who was that foreigner trying to pretend to be a Lithuanian? (Meryl Streep), but he was impressed with Fry's spoken Polish 'only a wift of a foreign accent' he says. He was less impressed with Fry's Polish accent when speaking English, but beggars can't be choosers. Personally I think it would have been better to cast a Polish actor in the lead role and I'm not sure if Lena was best cast in her role either. But I find that it's the kind of film that is made the more fascinating and memorable by its flawed and surprising casting. The cinematography is intelligent and carefully done without ever being pretentious or patronising and the script is unnerving; a little messy and flitting from genre to genre - just like real life (the Polish supporting cast are also great.) I found this film to be one of those golden nuggets that hangs around me afterwards. I find myself thinking about this film a lot. There is plenty of nuance in this film; a lot of depth and realism and details that are easily missed if you watch this film in the wrong mood or have too narrow an expectation of what a film of this subject matter ought to be. Watch the film with an open mind and laser focus, and you will get the most out of it.

Realistic portrayal of the way trauma carried on within families of Holocaust survivors. Just because the war ended didn't mean that all the wrongs were righted. This shows how those atrocities were resolved over time only by the people willing to acknowledge them and do the work, both victims and good Samaritans. And, likewise, there still existed people that kept the spoils of war and continued to profit from it.

Science only recently learned how trauma can literally be transferred through DNA (by causing stress responses to be expressed in offspring that would not otherwise have been). This is probably an evolutionary adaptation to increase the survival of offspring in a particularly stressful environment. Interestingly, this story might actually demonstrate that process at work. I believe the writers are referencing this phenomena when they show Ruth having nightmares about lice in her bed. Although the actual memory is not inherited, the stress response would have been, triggered by reading the history. Adding to the fact of also being raised by survivors who suffered from PTSD, it correctly characterizes her as an extended victim of the Holocaust.

There is some other stuff going on here, too, including messages on body positivity and grief over losing a loved one. I really like that they go on this physical journey as a representation of their inner transformation, because places, especially associated with ancestors and childhood are extremely powerful in shaping us. So, returning to them in order to reprocess memories and heal, is a believable scenario of change. It also seems that as a society, as we put wars behind us, we pretend as if those people and places no longer exist, never returning to them, or preserving them and refusing to change them. I think there's some commentary here about the unhealthiness of this, even if revisiting it can help people heal. Perhaps it can change once all the people heal & can move on. But, of course, there are legitimate reasons that we should maintain these memories as a society.