Desperately poignant

JCR-4

A true story: While her parents and older sister flee Hungary a young girl is unfortunately left behind with her grand-mother who then ends up in prison.  The young girl is adopted by a childless couple who adoringly bring her up until she is 5 or 6, at which point her grandmother takes her back to her real parents in the USA.  The young child is very brave, but also confused, and never forgets her adopted parents.  This story leaves you feeling desperate for all those involved.  The scenes of the girl in her early years with her adopted parents are very powerful and poignant.  They are so genuine and sincere in their love for the child and they hope she will never have to leave them, but deep down they know that some day it will happen, and it happens when they are least expecting it.  I can't imagine the pain those two people went through, as well as the child, and yet there is more to come.  I spent the whole film fighting back the tears, I was completely absorbed by the depth of feeling.  Some have said this film was flawed in some aspects but I'm no film critic and I have to say that I was so involved with the story and first class acting that if it was flawed I didn't notice.  It is slow-paced but justly so.  I was happy with the ending and felt it resolved nicely.

A note about the acting which was superb throughout.  I'm a big fan of Tony Goldwyn who is perfect in these roles.  The young Suzanne was delightful and incredibly genuine as were the adopted parents that were so authentic.  The teenage Suzanne was also very naturally interpreted and believable. All in all, a fine film.

score 9/10

JCR-4 19 November 2003

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0692370/