Quite honestly, I’m a little surprised the Weinstein Co. is releasing Sarah’s Key this early in the year as it received nothing but good buzz out of Toronto last year (at least that I heard) and sounds like a perfect candidate for Oscar. I wish I could tell you my actual thoughts on it at this moment, but I unfortunately missed it when I was in Toronto, which simply means once it makes its way to theaters on July 22, I will be sure to be in attendance.
My biggest concern, I guess, is that with such an early release date it may mean Kristin Scott Thomas may again be snubbed for an Oscar nomination, just as she was a few years ago following her work in I’ve Loved You So Long. I have a feeling my appreciation for her work isn’t quite up to par with an Oscar nomination.
Based on Tatiana de Rosnay’s New York Times best seller (buy it here), Sarah’s Key centers on Julia Jarmond (Thomas), an American journalist living in Paris commissioned to write an article about the notorious Vel d’Hiv round up, which took place in Paris, in 1942. As a result, her search leads her to the family of Wladyslaw and Rywka Starzynski and their daughter ten-year-old Sarah, the only member of the Starzynski family to survive. As Julia’s life becomes entwined with Sarah’s heart-breaking story she must tackle the complex issue of how to live with the past and keep moving forward.
I still have Sarah’s Key in my “The Contenders” section of the site, but I have a feeling this middle-of-the-summer release business won’t work in its favor. Nevertheless, Oscar talk or not, we can still hope it’s a good film. Here’s the trailer.
