The Zookeeper's Wife review

The Zookeeper's Wife is a holocaust drama about a husband and wife who smuggle Jews out of the ghettos and let them hide at their disused zoo.

On the scale of holocaust dramas this is somewhere in the middle. Jessica Chastain is great, as is Daniel Brühl in a smaller role. The story is familiar but told well. My problem is the unclear view of the survivors. The early scenes show Chastain's character caring for the animals in an affectionate way. When they are helping those who have escaped, she cares for them in a similar way. The presumption is that means she treats the animals like humans, but it also leaves an unpleasant thought that she might be treating the survivors like animals. That aside it is rather good.

In short: It is an effective but flawed holocaust drama.