The Birdcatcher

"An enjoyable, if fairly routine story of a young Jewish girl who manages to escape the clutches of her Nazi captors during WWII. She cuts her hair and dresses/acts as a boy and seeks refuge working on a remote farm. What's new? The difference is, this one is set in the harsher climate of Norway and her predicament is incorporated into the broader theme of the Quisling-run kingdom's own difficulties with the Nazis. The family that adopts this new "boy" has plenty of problems of it's own and so there are plenty of sub-plots to complement the principal story. The pretty much entirely Nordic cast are all fairly competent, if not exactly outstanding; and it does offer a different take on the usual approach to this subject. The cinematography is beautifully bleak at times, and generally contributes much to this watchable war story."