I really liked Sarah’s Key, and it’s the kind of movie that I usually don’t like. They somehow managed to do so many things right that are usually botched in films like this. The script is actually pretty good, and the story was pleasingly multidimensional. They pulled off the simultaneous parallel narratives in way that was not boring and did not stunt or trivialize either story line. The supporting and incidental casting was strong. And most amazingly, I made it all the way through the movie without feeling manipulated. In a genera filled with lowest-common-denominator tripe, Sarah’s Key is a wonderful and enjoyable exception.

I don’t have too much else to say about this film, and certainly don’t want to give anything away. But I will add that any chance to see Kristen Scott Thomas in a serious lead role is not to be missed, and she definitely does not disappoint here. And the little girl who played young Sarah (Mélusine Mayance) is who should have been cast as Prim in The Hunger Games – she would have been perfect for that role.

I definitely recommend Sarah’s Key.