Film Review – The Fencer

“The Fencer” is a European production, but it plays like a heartwarming Hollywood production. It’s a post-WWII tale of leadership and redemption, and it’s something of a sports movie as well, but instead of taking on more obvious confrontations, the feature explores the world of fencing, using its foundation of strategy, elegance, and respect to inform a story about a man struggling to reconcile with his traumatic past, finding hope in the company of children. What could be saccharine and silly is transformed into a pleasingly sweet endeavor from director Klaus Haro (“Letters to Father Jacob”), who’s faced with a slightly icier version of “The Bad News Bears,” but manages to make something sincere. “The Fencer” is built to be an audience-pleaser, and it’s successful in that respect, delivering a level of benevolence that’s immensely appealing, even if it’s not the most challenging picture in release today.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com