Wednesday, May 5, 2010

THE COUNTERFEITERS

Finally caught this movie on cable that so many have recommended and which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Picture for 2008.

Now I can see what friends were raving about. It has its flaws for sure (some over acting, some plot points obvious or overcooked despite the fact that it's a "true story") but it's a compelling story (as concentration camp stories usually are) and impossible for me not to watch despite the fact I was already tired when I turned it on and thought I'd just check it out and go to bed and catch it another day but I couldn't stop watching.

Mostly that's because if how impressive the actor Karl Markovics is in the lead role. Hypnotizing to watch, he gives such an extraordinary performance that it feels like a milestone in the long history of great movie performances.

If I ever get back to making lists much again, his role in this movie will be one any list of greatest movie performances.

2 comments:

Robert Berner said...

Dear Lal--There's an excellent book on this called Operation Bernhard. One of the best parts in it tells of how the Germans, through diplomatic contacts in Switzerland, sent some of the phony L5 notes to England to see if they were good enough to pass, and the Exchequer pronounced them authentic. That's how good the forgeries were.
Bob B.

Lally said...

Sounds like a book I'll have to read. Thanks Bob.