I work at a video store (part-time) and had the opportunity to
watch Tim Blake Nelson's work entitled "The Grey Zone". He both wrote
and directed the film, and I must say that it was very impressive. I
won't spoil the movie for anyone who hasn't seen it but I wanted to
give the group my opinion of his writing and direction abilites, in
the hopes that some of you decide to take a look at what a good
actore can do on the other side of the camera.
The film's era is set in 1944 and the focus is on a
concentration camp during the Holocaust. This is strong subject
matter and not intended for the faint of heart. The severity of the
situation is impacted upon you by Tim's upfront and explicit frames
of cold, grey cruelty. You are shown the gas chambers, crematoriums
and all the broken spirits inbetween.
I truly felt that the dialouge in the beginning of the film
could have been more understanding of viewer's needs. The mind
recoils at the realization of these people's pain and the underlying
message is lost until further in the film. However, as the movie
progresses, the people explain the message better than the words.
I have seen Tim Blake Nelson in a total of three films. All
of which were wonderful perfomances, but I am more impressed with his
talents as a director. The cast list includes such famous names as
Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino, Natasha Lyonne, and David Arquette. Tim
allows these well known actors and actresses to give all of their
effort and deliver amazing portrayals.
His commentary is a definite watch if you can get DVD. They
explain the scenery, the local extras that gave so much of themselves
to live forever in this movie, how his views created the look and
feel of the film.
Nicole