THE COUNTERFEITERS & WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?

The Counterfeiters [2008]

Hard hitting tale based on real events, signifies how far Germany itself has come to accept a certain level of responsibility for WWII and especially the Holocaust. Daring to strip an ugly chapter from its very own history books, director Stefan Ruzowitzky has taken an awful story and highlighted both its humanity and inhumanity in a troubling time.

The COUNTERFEITERS sets up its unbelievable story & unlikely hero, Salomon Sorowitsch, gambling in Monte Carlo after the war but very quickly brings us back to 1936 Berlin, and then from 1941 through the end of the world into an “upgraded” concentration camp, where getting shot is an arbitrary decision dependent on whether or not you are deemed useful at that very moment.

Even before this we learn that Sorowitsch was a habitual criminal, a counterfeiter by trade, caught and later sentenced to imprisonment. However, the war changes everything and by 1941, he is merely a Jew with a trade quite useful to the Nazis. Due to his specialized “trade,” he is enlisted by the very same Superintendent Herzog that had once had him arrested and is taken to the Sachsenhausen camp, where the beds are simply better and a ping-pong table is a gift of gratitude.

Now a Nazi official at the camp, Herzog lures Sorowitsch to become the ringleader of a band of Jews, whose every bit of contribution to the Nazi war against the allies has become a matter of a survival. The outcome has historically, and up until now, made this the largest counterfeiting effort in history.

Morally at odds, Sorowitsch and his cohorts must decide whether any of their actions will contribute in saving Germany by bringing down the British & American economy. Ironically, he and the other men risk their lives in order to survive just another day.

Solid storytelling filled with morally ambiguous characters makes this a fascinating take on the ugly truth of war. It deservedly won the Foreign Language Film Oscar at this year’s race; a race that was fraught with controversy when other internationally acclaimed films were passed over for lesser recognized titles. This one still manages to stand head and shoulders above many of our recent years’ nominees.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? ***1/2

Morgan Spurlock has done it again! Smart-alecky but ultimately hopeful documentary look at the Arab world today is filled with wonderful and wonderfully funny moments looking at the many faces of Islam. For such a dire topic, Spurlock sure knows how to keep it somewhat light-hearted and, against all odds, funny. Amusing as it at times, this film would have ended up as a cynical take were it not for its genuine poignancy. The many people interviewed for the most part come across as peace-loving, wishful thinkers – with their own opinions - and Spurlock seems to truly care for them and their points of view.

In many ways, it’s a brave little American film with a left-centered aim provided to showcase what it is like to see the on-going conflict from the other side. The different perspectives offered, allow the audience to further examine how perhaps we too have been led by simple prejudice, lack of sufficient information and, perhaps, our share of ignorance. Not that we should foolishly think that there aren’t any extremists (on either sides, that is) but these radicals are downplayed and mocked throughout by not only the film-maker but also by many of those that he interviews. Don’t be mislead to thinking that you are watching a probing rhetorical study on Moslem extremism because too in-depth you’ll not get. Still, a film that makes you think that you don’t really know it all, now, that’s impressive in itself.