Fugitive Pieces

Distractingly jumping back and forth in time, the film falters badly in the modern era, yet its tale is still a moving one.

Nostalgic, deeply felt, and refreshingly astute, "Fugitive Pieces" is something of a rare bird these days%u2014a big-budget, transnational historical drama that actually justifies its scope and subject matter with more than visual opulence.

Plays out with such daunting high-mindedness it makes The Reader look like Transformers.

Fugitive Pieces reduces the Holocaust and its aftermath to a cosy soap opera.

One of the most delicate, approachable and rewarding Holocaust movies of recent years.

Fugitive Pieces is all about glorifying a state of humorless suspension, where you dwell stoically in the past until, suddenly, you are rescued by a demure, unchallenging version of romantic love. It's depressing.

Podeswa's confusing, commonplace film lumbers along with a painful sincerity.

Given the source novel, Podeswa's attempt to adapt Fugitive Pieces is admirable in itself. Yet despite an enthusiastic cast, this fails to transport you in the same way. Tying itself in narrative knots, the end result is stilted.