During World War II in the freezing winter of 1944-45 the western Netherlands are in the grip of a famine. Many people move east to provide for their families. Fourteen year old Michiel can't wait to join the Dutch resistance, to the dismay of his father, who, as mayor, works to prevent escalations in the village.
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Aristides-2 and malcolmgw have already mentioned some of the holes in the plot that you can drive a truck through, such as Jack's leg being broken and rotting away one day but being magically healed when he clambers across a river along the underside of a bridge on the very next day.Aside from absurd details like this, the historical premise of the movie is unrealistic. The events portrayed are supposed to have happened in January 1945, at a time when the Germans were running from the Russians in the East and mobilized their last reserves of manpower, weaponry, and fuel for the futile Battle of the Bulge in the West. And yet this movie will have us believe that, just then, a whole company or so of German soldiers - all young men in their prime, well- fed, well-armed and -motorized, spic and span - are tasked with playing cat and mouse all day long with a bunch of hapless villagers in the Dutch countryside? And that, with 5 years of battlefield experience, none of them can hit a standing target at 50 paces?I get that the makers of movies are more interested in human virtues and morals than in historical facts, but it nevertheless detracts from a move when the historical background is so poorly treated.
Because my parents were children during the war I watched the movie....carefully.This movie nearly transported me to my father's very childhood as he was the same age as Michael and had very similar experiences during that time, very.I'm thankful it was made and made with good attention (although not perfect) to the smallest of detail. I am thankful to have watched it. I will watch it again.It amazes me how one man, Hitler (who was obviously insane), can influence so many people to do such terrible things. And, many believe today that we as a people are much smarter than that. Sadly, I'm not convinced that we are.If you have any interest in this story, watch this movie!
A fine World War II film made by the Dutch. As the winter of 1944-1945 rages, and the population in the German occupied Netherlands suffers famine, a teenage boy in a small farm town, son of the politically ambivalent mayor, risks his life by helping a downed British pilot who is hiding in the nearby forest. Adapted from a well regarded novel, the film is nothing extraordinary, and is far less flashy than the similarly themed Black Book but is enjoyable nonetheless. The storytelling is conventional and a bit slow at times but is solid and so is the acting. The wonderful bluish photography and the winterly landscape full of snowy fields and forests helps the movie (the film was shot in the Netherlands and in Lithuania). One may take issue with a few parts here and there (for instance, why the boy decides to continue helping the pilot even after he is unwittingly responsible for his father execution) but these objections seem minor in the face of a well made movie.
WAR IN WINTERTIME – CATCH IT ( A ) War in wintertime is a gripping tale of a young boy "Martijn Lakemeier Aka Michiel", who accidentally becomes a part of resistance in Germany during the end of World War II. Michiel has to protect the British Soldier "Jamie Campbell Bower Aka Jack" who crashed in Germany and that's how the movie proceeds how he helps the Brit soldier by risking everything. The whole movie is extremely moving and gripping, it kept me on edge of my seat the whole time. Martijn Lakemeier was truly exceptional his honest portrayal can be felt through the entire movie. I think, he has a great future ahead. I have heard a lot about Jamie Campbell Bower because of his small yet significant roles in Twilight Saga & Harry potter Deadly Hallows series but I have never saw his previous work, so while I was watching the movie I didn't knew that its Jamie Campbell Bower but then through IMDb I found out that its him I was pleasantly surprised because he brought the utmost charm into his role and no wonder he is becoming one of the most promising British young lads in Hollywood. Melody Klaver as Michiel's Sister and Jake's love interest was compelling. All the other actors did their parts really well. The direction & cinematography of the movie is truly remarkable. I think it's also one of the best foreign movies I have ever seen. Highly Recommended.
