World War II meets the coming-of-age film in “Winter in Wartime,” a Dutch drama that has the appeal of a well-crafted yarn.
It also has weather. As the title suggests, this is a frosty story, set in early 1945 in the countryside of Nazi-occupied Holland. In every exterior scene, the landscape is flocked with white, to the point where your eyes will have to adjust to the visual palate.
We see the tale from the perspective of 13-year-old Michiel (Martijn Lakemeier), who is more impressed with his dashing uncle — rumored to be a member of the Dutch Resistance — than with his father, the town mayor. Michiel sees his father appeasing the Germans and can’t understand it.
Intrigue comes in the form of a crashed British pilot (Jamie Campbell Bower, who has appeared in both the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” franchises), whose location is known only to Michiel. The pilot is injured, hiding in a dugout shelter covered with a few tree branches. He needs help, which Michiel is thrilled to provide.
This movie superbly conveys an adolescent’s excitement about suddenly feeling important. Michiel’s discovery gives him a reason to feel involved in the anti-Nazi effort and he’s territorial about his find, all the more because it’s a life-or-death issue for the airman.
The movie is based on a Young Adult novel by Jan Terlouw, a politician and author who grew up in occupied Holland.
Director Martin Koolhoven, the creator of a string of hits in the Netherlands, takes a straightforward approach to the material.
In this case, “straightforward” unfortunately means lots of syrupy music and jiggly handheld cameras, which supposedly builds tension but really just becomes tiresome after a while.
The story is strong enough to withstand these faults, however, and the “man in hiding” situation provides many opportunities for suspense.
Koolhoven wisely allows us to infer that more is going on in the underground than first apparent; those “cousins” showing up at people’s houses might be Jewish people needing places to stay.
Closing the deal is an excellent child performance by Lakemeier, who made his acting debut here and scored a couple of Dutch film awards for his work. He’s in every scene and he’s often required to express mixed emotions, so he’d better be believable. Glad to say, the kid’s a natural.
“Winter in Wartime” (3 stars)
A WWII coming-of-age story about a 13-year-old Dutch lad who discovers an injured British pilot hiding near his town. The film’s style is a little overdone, but this is nevertheless a good yarn with a great sense of snowy atmosphere and an excellent central performance by the youngster, Martijn Lakemeier. In Dutch, with English subtitles.
Rated: R, for violence, subject matter.
Showing: Varsity.
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