A Bag of Marbles is yet another novel and movie about the fate of a Jewish family during the Second World War. Don't get me wrong, it's an important topic, a dark part of history that shall never be forgotten and a thematic that is sadly still relevant nowadays. However, so many novels and movies have already explored the exact same approach presented in this film: Au revoir les enfants, Life is Beautiful, The Book Thief, The Diary of Anne Frank and Schindler's List are only some movies that immediately come to my mind. Instead of getting another similar scenario, it would have been interesting to follow the torn family of collaborators in this film for example. Another fresh change could have been to finally offer the perspective of young German soldiers manipulated by propaganda and disillusioned by war. Since this is a French movie, it's also a little bit too convenient to simply blame the foreign enemy and would have been much more interesting to investigate the crimes of Marshal Pétain in depth. Why not make a movie about revolting French antisemitism in the Dreyfus Affair? Or a movie about France's own racist attitude in their colonies? Instead of trying out anything new, A Bag of Marbles plays it safe and the fact that the novel and movie are based upon true events doesn't help much.

On the positive side, the acting performances by the teenagers incarnating the two brothers are stellar. The changes of locations keep the movie entertaining and give it an epic touch. The addition of numerous quirky side characters who are trying to find ways to hide their fears adds diversity to the film. There are a few memorable scenes such as the father beating up his own son to teach him how to deny his identity, the younger brother stepping up to save a family of collaborators in an act of civic courage and the same character desperately running after his desperate sweetheart whose family just got attacked by an angry mob.

On the other side, the story doesn't offer anything new, is slightly dull and slow-paced in the middle section and only touches the surface of several interesting characters such as the Jewish doctor or the family of collaborators. Several chapters from the novel aren't included in the cinematic adaptation and a few details are also changed. Instead of showing the brothers endlessly wandering across mountains, the film should have spent more time developing the numerous interesting side characters and giving some additional information about the historic background.

In the end, A Bag of Marbles is ultimately a good film but suffers from being just another movie about the fate of a Jewish family during the Second World War. The movie itself has its reasons to be, has a quirky and epic approach going for it and convinces with two really good lead actors. However, European cinema has been saturated with movies of this kind over the past three decades and this film fails both to offer anything new and to compete with its numerous competitors. The most authentic, gripping and sinister movie of this kind is the outstanding The Pianist. But if you really want to get an idea of the horrors of the Second World War, you have to visit a former concentration camp which is an absolutely life-changing experience.

"Un sac de billes" or "A Bag of Marbles" is the newest work by Emmy-nominated Canadian filmmaker Christian Duguay. This film is based on a novel and it is also a remake of a film with the same title from the 1970s, over 40 years ago. I have no seen this old film and not read the novel, so I cannot elaborate on parallels and differences between these works and this new 110-minute film. I am also not familiar with Duguay, but I know that I sure liked what I saw here and this film is a fine example of how it is still really possible with the right talent and approach to make films about the dark years between 1933 and 1945. The film plays in France from start to finish, so you will hear mostly French language and should go for a good set of subtitles if you aren't fluent in this beautiful language.

I think this was a really good ensemble performance where nobody was really great, but everybody was good and added their share to the overall outcome. If I had to pick one, I'd maybe go with Patrick Bruel, who was a really great surprise in here as I think I knew the name only referred to his singing career. The most known name is probably Christian Clavier thanks to his Astérix performances, but he really only plays a minor character here. The film is interesting from start to finish, but I would say there were three scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. The first would be the slapping scene that should prepare the boy(s), the second would be the trap that they could try to get out, but would have been killed and finally the ending that works perfect from the realistic and touching perspectives. Certainly one of the most emotional scenes from 2017. (Honorable mention to the scene when the boy near the end screams out his religion multiple times that he had to hide for so long. This one was certainly walking the edge between cringe and powerful, but as he basically saved a collaborator that moment the scene makes a great impact too, it's up to you to decide if for the right or wrong reasons, I myself am still undecided too.) This is also one of the film's greatest strengths, it may be dramatic from start to finish, but it's always authentic in my opinion. And it is really easy to feel for the characters, for example to wonder if the guy who helps them getting away for a low price early on is really good or evil. Or before they are caught if the driver is trying to trap them when the older boy cannot open the door on his side of the car.

Overall, this is just a really well-done WWII film from start to finish that offers absolutely everything you could hope for if the context/time interests you as much as it interests me. For me it is one of the very best 2017 releases I have seen by now, top3 probably. I would not be surprised if France submits it to the Oscars and it could make a nice run there too. Top9 would be the minimum, a nomination seems likely and I would not be too surprised to see it as a contender for the win even. It's better than "A nagy füzet" (The Notebook) and as good as "Wolfskinder" (Wolfschildren), 2 films that deal with a similar subject and that you may want to give a go too if you watched and liked this one we have here. I really would be surprised if you didn't. Big thumbs-up from me. Highly recommended.

"Un sac de billes" is another film about a Jewish family shattered by the German invasion. The story is not original since the tragedies are very alike and there is lack of emotion with the cold direction by Christian Duguay. After more than seventy years and hundreds of movies about this sad period of the mankind history, a new film about this theme should have something different in excitement or emotion; otherwise will give the sensation of déjàvu for the viewer. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Os Meninos Que Enganavam Nazistas" ("The Boys That Lure the Nazi")