Movie Review

Steal a Pencil for Me (2007)

Reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum | Nov 07, 2007

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Lisa Schwarzbaum is a film critic for EW

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EW's GRADE

B+

Details Limited Release: Nov 09, 2007; Rated: Unrated; Length: 94 Minutes; Genre: Documentary

BUILT TO LAST Jack and Ina smooch at their wedding

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The love letters that Dutch Jewish accountant Jack Polak sneaked to his then girlfriend, Ina Soep, while imprisoned in Nazi camps (with Jack's then wife, Manja, nearby) are the love-finds-a- way hook for this gentle study in human resilience and luck. (Jack and Manja divorced after the war; Jack and Ina have been married now for 61 years.) But even without the romantic twist, filmmaker Michèle Ohayon shapes her portrait of two vibrant old people with a fine hand (especially when it comes to interspersing historical footage), creating a valuable addition to the Cinema of Never Forget. B+

Originally posted Nov 07, 2007 Published in issue #964 Nov 16, 2007 Order article reprints

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