Jan Wahl Movie Review: 'The Last Sentence' & 'Venus In Fur'

You can hear KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl's movie reviews on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM Fridays at 8:53am & 4:53pm.

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SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl reviews a pair of new movies: "The Last Sentence," a biopic about a Swedish journalist in Nazi Germany; and "Venus in Fur," Roman Polanski's adaptation of the acclaimed two-person play by David Ives.

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THE LAST SENTENCE (R) 126 min In Swedish with English subtitles

This movie asks the audience an important question: If you're country was threatened by Nazi Germany, would you stand up and try to stop it? In this based-on-fact story, we meet the editor of the most popular newspaper in Sweden, and the legendary editor Torney Segerstedt refuses to be silenced, even as Hitler is getting ready to enter Stockholm.

This is a long, but engrossing film directed and adapted by Jan Troell, who gave us Zandy's Bride, The Emigrants and others. There's something both twisted and clearly simple about Swedish films, a rich history of cinematic storytelling. This is one of those true stories that make us want to look up subjects like anti antisemitism in Sweden the appeasement of Hitler and the King's role in it. This film both teaches and entertains.

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VENUS IN FUR (R)

Director Roman Polanski has given us some amazing films, from "Chinatown" to "Repulsion" and "The Pianist". This time it's a film based on the Tony Award-winning play about a writer searching for the right actress to play a complicated, sensual part in his latest show.

In this shrewd game of cat and mouse, we find out the facts behind the ferocious fiction. Polanski's actual wife, Emanuelle Seigner plays the difficult, graphic leading lady fighting gender politics. Very graphic, for open minded adults only.

I saw the play here in San Francisco and found it better than the film, though the story is still often shocking.

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Movies To See Right Now: Life Itself, Belle, Jersey Boys, Chef, The Fault In Our Stars & Ida

Home Viewing/DVD: Three Days To Kill

In:
• Nazi
• Germany