The Cat's in the Cradle... I Mean Oven
This is one strange movie. It is not for the faint of heart, those who like animals, those that fought in World War II, people that went through the holocaust... the list goes on and on. While it is gruesome and repulsive at times, it is a brilliant, though somewhat simple, attempt to show what a human being can turn into.
The story revolves around young man named Todd Bowden, a high school student with a knack for history. In his research, he discovers that a Nazi war criminal is living in his own town. After more careful research, he now has enough to convict this criminal, but he doesn't. Instead, he blackmails the old man, named Kurt Dussander into telling him stories about the holocaust. It's apparent right from the start that Todd has a complete lack of morals. I know it seems crazy, but for the first half of the movie, I actually felt remorse for the Nazi. As the movie progresses, Todd slips further and further away from reality. By the end of the movie, I was appalled by both characters, yet very intrigued.
The acting is nothing spectacular, with the exception of Ian McKellen of course. The rest of the cast is either standard or slightly below, but that in no way takes away from the story or themes of the film. In the final scene, the acting was almost ridiculous. I understood what he was saying, and how important it was, but I felt no sense of threat.
This is a very ambitious film, and it delivers in almost all areas. Some of the scenes are very frightening, and others are just downright sick. Like I said, this isn't for the faint of heart. It has a story worth telling, and if you look close enough, there's a message to be had.