The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMovie reviews

Denial

Denial | Movie review
23 January 2017
Alexander Bawden
Avatar
Alexander Bawden
23 January 2017

Movie and show review

Alexander Bawden

Denial

★★★★★

Release date

27th January 2017

Certificate

UPG12A1518 title=

Links

FacebookWebsite

Denial is a star-studded courtroom romp that is based on the well-known case of Deborah Lipstadt versus Holocaust denier David Irving. This is an emotive topic that appears ludicrous to even question, but has real relevance as we move into Trump-era presidency. People in power must be made accountable for their words.

Viewers are introduced relatively glibly to Weisz’s Lipstadt, Professor of Modern Jewish Culture, where her strength of character is demonstrated by an overly dramatised lecture, hefty ginger wig and smiling students all clamouring to greet her.

It’s a stiff inauguration to both plot and characters, and this struggle for emotional connection remains throughout. The audience endure as distant spectators in a personal story that seems unsure of its motivations, but it’s impossible not to be drawn in by the weightiness of the narrative, and some rather haunting questions: How do you prove the Holocaust happened?

The movie’s importance makes it decidedly self-aware, and the weight of a potential Oscar is obviously present in the mind of director Mick Jackson, who floods the screen with heavy-handed metaphors. Thankfully, the strong visuals of the film counter this, as a thoroughly enjoyable throwback to the questionable tastes of the noughties, expertly juxtaposed against the harrowing remnants of Auschwitz.

With such a stellar cast excellence is expected, and they are on top form when in the courtroom, though there’s an underlying sense that they’re not given quite enough to do. Weisz is a phenomenal actress but she is diminished to a stereotype with her “American ways” and “outlandish” scholastic tendencies, the same way Spall is characterised too heavily as villainous and creepy. There’s an interesting twist towards the end of the court proceedings that gives dimension to Irving and begins to explain, chillingly, why racist behaviour is hard to see as inherently wrong by the offending party.

In spite of the rather rough handling of the script, Denial’s significance as a testament to freedom of speech and the subsequent fight for the truth endures. It’s an intriguing watch that may be better suited for television than the silver screen, but will be remembered for its immortalisation of one of the Jewish community’s greatest challenges, and its victory.

★★★★★

Alexander Bawden

Denial is released nationwide on 27th January 2017.

Watch the trailer for Denial here:

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Related Itemsreview

More in Movie reviews

Fadia’s Tree

Marissa Khaos
Read More

What Josiah Saw

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Luck

★★★★★
Guy Lambert
Read More

Maisie

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Bullet Train

★★★★★
Matthew McMillan
Read More

Thirteen Lives

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Hit the Road

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More

Fire of Love

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Death of a Ladies’ Man

★★★★★
Mae Trumata
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

Alexander Bawden

Denial

★★★★★

Release date

27th January 2017

Certificate

UPG12A1518 title=

Links

FacebookWebsite

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Camden Fringe 2022: Rome 3000 (Julius Caesar) at Canal Cafe Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Midsummer Mechanicals at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Luck
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • “The show makes you question, think about things and look into yourself. It speaks to you”: Tom Sturridge and Vivienne Acheampong on The Sandman
    Cinema & Tv
  • “Theatre is totally unique… there’s simply nothing else quite like it”: An interview with Sir Howard Panter as the new cast of Jersey Boys opens at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • Jersey Boys bring on a new cast at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • All of Us at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Sandman
    ★★★★★
    netflix
  • Midsummer Mechanicals at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Jersey Boys bring on a new cast at Trafalgar Theatre
    Theatre
  • Luck
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • South Facing Festival: Jungle bring their signature neo-funk to Saturday night
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • “Everything that’s happened to me has brought me here”: David Leitch on Bullet Train and working with Brad Pitt
    Cinema & Tv
  • The Tempest at Shakespeare’s Globe
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Christine | Movie review
iBoy | Movie review