Film Review – Irena’s Vow

“Irena’s Vow” shares the story of Irene Gut Opdyke, who faced the intensity of World War II as a Polish orphan, soon coming into contact with Nazi leadership and desperate Jews as Europe was thrown into chaos. As events from WWII go, moviegoers have seen quite a few of these tales (including last month’s “One Life”), but director Louise Archambault (“The Bad Seed Returns”) finds a special sensitivity to the feature, which isn’t an epic about saving lives. It’s more of a survival film with some emotional ties, and the helmer manages to locate suspense while presenting a reminder of history’s darkness. “Irena’s Vow” is carefully handled and capably performed, with star Sophie Nelisse articulating the panic and concern of Irene’s experience, which found the young woman trying to pull off the impossible, protecting the innocent right under the nose of the Nazis. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com