But it was still enjoyable. The past was underdeveloped so this viewer lacked sympathy for the now adult characters - a key element in establishing a rapport and story arc.Susan Sarandon was marvellous as always in the lead, welcoming Max Von Syndow who 'rescued' her as a child from the concentration camps, along with Gabriel Byrne who was a childhood companion in the camp with her.Christopher Plummer's performance as the husband who keeps it all together is excellent, he rarely puts a foot wrong on stage or screen, a consummate actor.Gabriel Byrne projects haunted like no actor can and his scene with Max touched me emotionally like none of the other which appeared more 'contrived'.Roy Dupuis, who played the part of the son, is a little underused here, the effects on him of his disconnected mother not fully explored - this could have been tied in with his oddly absentee wife? The scenery, pardon the pun, just about steals every scene here - magnificent - and the autumn colours underline the autumn years of the cast, beautifully done.6 out of 10. I felt there was more to this than was shown.

This film was one of the absolute best acted, best directed and scripted of any I have yet watched.The film is not a tear jerker, except for the both dumb of heart and mind. It is a powerful story, that has roots in the very fabric of human history and the struggle for meaning in life.The existential struggles and scarred souls of three Nazi concentration camp survivors, meet after 35 years. Lessons are learned by all involved. The perhaps greatest lesson, is the need for the young to understand the life and circumstances their parents faced. And, ironically the inability of time to seem anything except indifferent to human suffering and existence itself. The past and its sufferings need give way to time's indiffernce. Live and love in the present. That is the crux of this fine drama.I do-not suggest this film for insensitive slobbery and obviously some here saw nothing in it. It is as if a great film was cast before them and all they saw was a boring pace and words and emotions they could never feel or associate themselves with.I have given this film a NINE. That for me is almost an impossible thing to do, if you review my reviews.Congratulations on a moving, intellectual and poignant cinema.

This is a little gem of a film with superior acting and breathtaking visuals. It does not appeal to a wide audience and never got wide distribution. I'm not even sure it was ever shown commercially in the United States. It is the type of film that causes fans of good acting and production to be grateful for DVD's.The story and the characters may be a bit exaggerated, but that can be forgiven because the viewer is offered insight into some extremely interesting personalities.In 1942, Melanie Lansing was the pubescent daughter of American Jews living in France. It is not fully explained in the film, but Melanie has been separated from her parents and sent to Drancy. Drancy (Link) was a transit camp not far from Paris where those unwelcome in the Nazi world were prepared from shipment to concentration camps. At Drancy, Melanie meets Christopher Lewis who is an Irish lad about her same age. Christopher introduces Melanie to Jakob Bronski who is a young Jewish scholar in his twenties. Jakob is able to bribe the officials so that Melanie and Christopher are not sent to concentration camps in Germany. Just as Jakob is being packed off to a concentration camp, he gives Melanie a book with the obligation to record all who pass through Drancy. These events exist as Melanie's memories in the film that takes place in 1985.Melanie Lansing Winters lives on a small farm in an idyllic setting in Eastern Canada with her husband David who is a semi-retired college professor. Also at the farm for a momentous event in Melanie's life are her son and grandson. It seems that Melanie has spent her life in support of oppressed groups of people and she has tracked down Jakob who was first sent to a German concentration camp and then to a Russian camp. In both he suffered unspeakable tortures both physical and psychological. Melanie has invited Jakob to her home offering him a place to stay for the rest of his life. It is clear from the beginning that her husband is not as enthusiastic about this plan as Melanie for reasons that will be exposed as the story continues.Jakob arrives at the airport with a somewhat unsettling surprise for Melanie. He has brought Christopher with whom Melanie had lost contact. Christopher has nurtured his love for Melanie for over forty years and hopes that she returns his feelings.The action in this tale takes place during one weekend and at a welcoming dinner for Jakob that Melanie has arranged. During that time we gain insight into Melanie, her husband, David, their son Benjamin, Christopher, and Jakob. The story revolving around this forty-three year old encounter is a bit weak, but the characters are solid as concrete as their emotions can be applied to anyone, anywhere, at any time.A powerhouse of actors bring these characters to life.Christopher Plummer is husband, David who appears first as an unfeeling lunk but emerges as a complex man whose life has been shaped by his love for an obsessive woman.Roy Dupuis is solid as a son who has had to endure a life dominated by two opposite poles of overwhelming parents.Dakota Goyo is beautiful as the grandson who is able to touch the innocence still contained in all of the wounded adults around him.Gabriel Byrne is perfect as Christopher, a successful man still gripped by a love that began almost a half century ago.Max von Sydow gives a hypnotic performance of a man who has suffered unimaginable tortures and has survived to live the last of his life in a peace created by his own mind.The unstable and fanatical Melanie is played by Susan Sarandon. Has she ever given a bad performance? In this film, she gives us a woman who is basically unlikable, but her considerable acting talent forces us to care and emphasize with the emotionally damaged Melanie.From the description, you may think that this is a tragic tale about a group of lost souls, but the DVD title is a spoiler to the conclusion of the film. This is a beautiful story of lost souls found, and it is solid, solid entertainment.

It is fascinating how the horrors of World War II continue to spark off good, intelligent cinema around the world even after a gap of over half a century. "Emotional Arithmetic" based on a novel by Matt Cohen (a Jew?), begins with an astounding remark "If you ask me if I believe in God, I am forced to answer does God believe in us?" The film is not about atheism. It reflects on the terrible scars left by war on orphans, on individuals who stand up and protest when wrong is done, on relationships forged in times of stress, pain and loss.The charm of Paolo Barzman's film rests considerably in the hands of the capable actors—-Susan Sarandon, Max von Sydow, Chistopher Plummer and Gabriel Bryne—-all who have a maturity to carry off their parts in the film with grace. Ms Sarandon has matured into a formidable actress in recent films and this one showcases her talent.Screened at the 12th International Film Festival of Kerala, India, the film forced this viewer to compare the contents of "Emotional Arithmetic" with those of a Swiss documentary "A Song for Argyris" also shown at the festival. Both films underlined the difficulties in forgetting tragic events in our lives and moving on. Both films indirectly discuss the bonding of survivors of tragic events. As I watched the film I could not help but note the growing interest filmmakers in family bonds—in "Emotional Arithmetic" it is merely a subplot balancing a "virtual" family that suffered during the Nazi rule with that of a real family comprising three generations living in idyllic conditions in Canada.This film would offer considerable material to reflect on for the viewer, beyond the actual events shown on the screen.Though there is no mention of a divine presence, the use of the vertical crane shots of the dining table and the car at interesting junctures in the film seem to suggest this debatable interpretation. This Canadian film provides eye-candy locations that grab your attention from the opening shot. Mesmerizing crane shots are part of the film that provide an unusual charm to the high technical quality of the film, which becomes all the more apparent on the large cinemascope screen. So is the competent editing of the sequences that make the viewing process delectable. Like another Canadian film "Away from her" shown at the 11th edition of the festival, Canadian cinema has proved capable of dealing with serious subjects with the help of international actors, without resorting to the commercial gimmicks of mainstream American cinema, and employing high standards of craftsmanship in the true tradition of the famous Canadian filmmaker Claude Jutra!