Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

jc-osms Weak title for a strong second world war-time drama set in a small Dutch town occupied by the German Army in early 1945. The plot centres on a young teenage boy, just on the cusp of manhood, whose curiosity and growing wish to contribute to the war effort begins to lead him into trouble, especially as his father is the conciliatory town mayor. When a young British fighter-pilot's plane comes down just outside the town and he has to kill an investigating enemy soldier on patrol, young Theo determines to track him down and lead him to safety.Realistically shot in the grey, cold winter time, the story probably includes a bit too much clichéd action which makes the twists in the tale somewhat predictable when they come. In no particular order these involve the boy's relationship with a newly-arrived uncle sympathetic to the Dutch Resistance movement, his nurse sister's burgeoning relationship with the baby-faced young Brit and his tricky relationship with his father in whom he is disappointed at his apparent cooperation with the Germans. The movie also inserts a number of nail-biting moments of near-discovery, treachery and last-minute attempted rescues, possibly too many for the story to bear in its running-time and still seem true-to-life. There's a mild rites-of-passage undertow to events as the young boy's sexual desires awaken, courtesy of a handy peephole in his upstairs room when his family put in a young girl and her family, a set of pornographic playing cards and finally, mist blatantly, when his sister gets together with the pilot.The final scene of heroic escape is again a bit too exaggerated for my taste as is the boy's overcoming his natural aversion to guns until provoked too far, but for all my caveats, it's a fast-moving, exciting and gripping story, very well-acted by most of the leads, only the young British actor playing the pilot seems too lightweight in his portrayal.I see this movie won several awards in its native Holland and I can understand why. It's a good movie which might have worked a bit better for me with a few less climactic scenes which tend to overpower the narrative and seem like an unnecessary concession to Hollywood action movie conventions.

pammauriks Based on the dutch children's book from Jan Terlouw. They made it a true masterpiece. If it's made as a family movie I think they failed. I found it quite depressing and was sometimes painful to watch, which is a huge achievement. The acting is from the highest standards and the music and look of the movie adds up to make this one of the best movies I've seen.It's the best dutch movie I've seen so far. I like dutch movies and I think they got under rated most of the time (offcourse there are bad ones). This is definitely a must see if you like drama.If you like this movie I would recommend: - sonny boy - de kleine blonde dood - de tweeling

Armand For images and story. For music and subtle details of a interior war. For the science to make nuances in perfect place. For Martijn Lakemeier play and for the end - crush of spell. In fact, for the art to describe a war as mixture of trust, friendship, courage and measure of truth in the eyes of a boy. Limits and force of gestures. Hope and power of small pieces of day. Sacrifice as way to be and snow like cell of shadows. And love - sketch of real values. It is difficult to say more. May be movie of a self definition or only fragment by a historical event. Few hours of a hero or circle of resistance. For every person - a slice. From a poem.

Howard Schumann Based on the autobiographical novel by Dutch author Jan Terlouw who spent five grim years under Nazi occupation and was arrested several times, Martin Koolhoven's Winter in Wartime is the coming-of-age story of a teenager who becomes involved with the Resistance when he helps a wounded RAF soldier hiding from the Germans. Written by Paul Jan Nelissen and Mieke de Jong and set in January 1945 in a small town in Holland (but filmed in Lithuania), the film is seen from the perspective of 13-year-old Michiel who, in addition to dealing with the normal problems of a teenager, must handle his complex feelings towards his father, the town's mayor, euphemistically called a "neutral" or, more directly, a Nazi collaborator. Michiel is played by Martijn Lakemeier who, despite having acted for only two months prior to the film, does a highly creditable job playing the bright but naïve teen.Though his father, Raymond Thiry (Johan Van Beusekom) has the wounded look of someone just caught stealing, he loves his son and the scene where he teaches him how to shave is genuine and quite touching, though Michiel has little respect for his dad's cozy relationship with the German occupiers. The story becomes more involved when Michiel's Uncle Ben (Yorick van Wageningen) shows up and assumes the role of a mentor to the boy, a status abdicated by his father. Though Ben is protective of Michiel and tries to keep him from getting involved, the boy inadvertently becomes part of the resistance when he finds a British soldier, Jack (Jamie Campbell Bower), hiding in an underground bunker deep in the forest and brings him food and together plan his escape.To add more tension, Michiel recruits his sister Erica (Melody Klaver), a nurse, to care for the wounded flier, a meeting that develops into a personal relationship. As the film moves to an unpredictable climax, it becomes challenging for Michiel to fully grasp where people's loyalties really lie, and this lesson is learned the hard way as part of his maturing process. Winter in Wartime avoids the usual Nazi stereotypes and presents the Germans as human beings, though Koolhoven's even-handedness becomes hard to swallow when "friendly" German soldiers stop to help Michiel and Jack repair the broken wheel of a horse-drawn carriage, not asking who they are or where they are going.Though the film is set in occupied territory in the middle of a war, it lacks a gritty look and feel. Koolhoven makes choices that constantly undermine the film's realism such as Michiel running in slow motion towards a firing squad to try and prevent an execution and a lush musical background of soaring violins that does not seem appropriate to the circumstances. In spite of its flaws, Winter in Wartime is an involving story, well acted, and confidently directed. Though they will learn little about the full extent of Nazi brutality, the film should appeal to students seeking to better understand historical events they have only read about in history texts.