Une Libération is an award winning short film written by and starring Marion Kerr and was directed by Brian Crewe (Far). The film also features acting performances by Ross Marquand, Matthew Temple, and mark Jaeger.
The Story:
Official Synopsis - On the eve of the liberation of Paris from Nazi occupation during World War Two, Juliet, a female American resistance member, risks her life by descending into the underground tunnels of Paris to deliver a secret message. However, a final deadly encounter with a pair of German deserters threatens to destroy the very thing she has been fighting for.
The Review:
This film has received numerous awards and accolades during it's festival run and finally getting to see it for myself has validated all of the anticipation. As a World War II drama, I would most compare it to Saving Private Ryan as it has the same gritty qualities and sense of urgency brought on by knowing that the characters are surrounded by danger at all times. The imagery, while intentionally dark, is beautiful to look at with bold lighting and camera angles that help to accentuate the emotions being brought out by the cast led by Marion Kerr and Ross Marquand. The two work very well together, have great chemistry on screen, and have the ability to display a wide range of emotion while also speaking multiple languages all within the same conversation.
Aside from being a talented director and editor, Brian Crewe is also a true fan of the cinematic experience and movies in general. He puts so much of what has influenced him over the years into his films and the result of those efforts is a very polished and well rounded film making style that you can't help but enjoy watching. As I mentioned earlier, the camera work in this film is top notch and feature film quality which is a credit to both Crewe as a director and to another long time collaborator, George Feucht, who handled the cinematography.
This film is now available on DVD through Amazon's Createspace website (CLICK HERE) and I would highly recommend purchasing this for any one who really loves movies as well as the film making process. Aside from the movie itself, there are over two hours of extras including commentary tracks and some really informative featurettes that really put you inside the creative process. There is so much more to watch than the standard blooper reel, trailer, and crappy deleted scenes you might get with most home video releases and all the extra content more than made up for the fact that I wasn't able to see the film in a real live movie theater.
The Verdict:
Une Libération is a film you need to see. It is a period piece, a war drama, an action film, and a love story all crammed into about 15 minutes of screen time. This is easily one of the best short films you will see this year and I would also put it up against most any of the feature films I have had a chance to review. Support indie film making and give this movie a look. You won't be disappointed.
Earlier I mentioned the short film called Far which was also created by Brian Crewe and Marion Kerr. Check out my review HERE and you can also purchase the DVD HERE. Both Far and Une Libération would make great additions to anyone's home video library.
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