Movie Review

Steal a Pencil for Me (2007)

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 | Steal a Pencil for Me
BUILT TO LAST Jack and Ina smooch at their wedding

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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