Sarah's Key

Plot

In modern-day Paris, a journalist finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl whose family was torn apart during the notorious Vel' d'Hiv Roundup in 1942.

Release Year: 2010

Rating: 7.3/10 (4,344 voted)

Critic's Score: 59/100

Director:
Gilles Paquet-Brenner

Stars: Kristin Scott Thomas, Mélusine Mayance, Niels Arestrup

Storyline
One of the darkest moments in French history occurred in 1942 Paris when French officials rounded up over 10,000 Jews and placed them in local camps. Eventually over 8,000 were sent off to German concentration camps. As 10-year old Sarah and her family are being arrested, she hides her younger brother in a closet. After realizing she will not be allowed to go home, Sarah does whatever she can to get back to her brother. In 2009, a journalist named Julia is on assignment to write a story on the deported Jews in 1942. When she moves into her father-in-law's childhood apartment, she realizes it once belonged to the Strazynski family, and their daughter Sarah.

Writers: Gilles Paquet-Brenner, Serge Joncour

Cast:

Kristin Scott Thomas
–

Julia Jarmond

Mélusine Mayance
–

Sarah Starzynski

Niels Arestrup
–

Jules Dufaure

Frédéric Pierrot
–

Bertrand Tezac

Michel Duchaussoy
–

Édouard Tezac

Dominique Frot
–

Geneviève Dufaure

Natasha Mashkevich
–

Mme Starzynski

Gisèle Casadesus
–

Mamé

Aidan Quinn
–

William Rainsferd

Sarah Ber
–

Rachel

Arben Bajraktaraj
–

M. Starzynski

Karina Hin
–

Zoé

James Gerard
–

Mike Bambers

Joseph Rezwin
–

Joshua

(as Joe Rezwin)

Kate Moran
–

Alexandra

Taglines:
Uncover the mystery

Details

Official Website:
Official site |
Official site [Spain] |

Release Date: 22 July 2011

Box Office Details

Budget: €10,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $115,708
(USA)
(24 July 2011)
(5 Screens)

Gross: $17,511,906
(Worldwide)
(28 August 2011)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

France: 111 min
 |
USA: 111 min

Goofs:

Continuity:
The cab that Julia gets into has a medallion number of 1M11. The one she gets out of has a medallion number of 7H83.

User Review

Very worthy movie

Rating: 8/10


The movie deals with a harrowing episode in European history in a
convincing fashion. It cleverly shifts from the past to the present,
all the while building towards a tidy conclusion that ties up most of
the loose ends, but leaves the audience guessing about the possible
future of some of the main characters.

I was slightly disappointed that a few of the present day scenes were a
little too frivolous for a movie that was built around such a tragic
episode. However some good may come from this if it makes the movie
more accessible to the younger audience, who might not be aware of all
of the horrors of Jewish persecution during WW2.