Marcel Marceau († 2007) was the most famous pantomime in the world. In this biopic we see that he was also a resistance fighter in his youth.
Story: Marcel (Jesse Eisenberg, 38) grows up in Strasbourg. Instead of becoming a butcher like his father, he prefers to emulate his idol Charlie Chaplin. When the Germans march in, he goes underground. His goal: to get as many Jewish children as possible to safety from the brutal Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie (Matthias Schweighöfer, 40).
Matthias Schweighöfer as Gestapo chief Klaus BarbiePhoto: © 2021Warner Bros. Entertainment
Director Jonathan Jakubowicz (43) showed a lot of courage to let Eisenberg play the ingenious pantomime. Especially gentle scenes with the kids are heartbreaking. In contrast, there are absurdly sensational action scenes and a Schweighöfer acting like a crazy comic villain as the Nazi butcher Klaus Barbie.
Conclusion: a fascinating story. Unfortunately, it is watered down by flat action and unnecessarily added subplots.
(122 min./FSK: from 12 years)
