Transatlantic

I stumbled upon Transatlantic out of curiosity, not knowing what to expect. However, to my delight, it turned out to be a true gem. The exceptional acting, well-crafted plot, and engaging script kept me captivated throughout the entire movie. What truly sets this film apart is its artistic value, evident in every scene, from the stunning cinematography to the exquisite ending credits.

As a war movie enthusiast, I was particularly intrigued by the historical context and story of the French resistance during World War II, which I realized I wasn't familiar with. The film showcased this movement in a stylish and compelling way, which was a refreshing departure from the usual war movie tropes. The addition of the artistic flair and the charming seaside of Marseille added an extra layer of visual appeal and made for a cinematic dream.

Overall, the film exceeded my expectations and left me with a newfound appreciation for the French resistance and the beauty of Marseille. I am grateful to have discovered this hidden gem.

I am glad to finally see the tale told of the sad loss of the brilliant Walter Benjamin as WWII escalated, but yet somehow the story of his brilliance and then the brilliance of all the other famous artists in the tale, does not do them justice. These figures are lost to some other intent in the construction of this story...this history needs to be told, but somehow this telling is missing authenticity, it sacrifices this for the sake of finding 2020 in 1940.

It is never the less help ful to see the enactments, the tale of these brave efforts does need to be told, especially of the almost misses, the ways in which the US came too close to not helping the struggle.

This is a fascinating story based on real people and real events circa Marseille, France in 1940.

I always thought it was only Oscar Schindler, the German industrialist and member of the Nazi Party, who saved 1,200 Jews from the German concentration camps.

But American journalist Varian Fry and his colleagues succeeded in facilitating the escape of Europe's virtual brain trust, including famous Jewish artists, from the advancing Wehrmacht in 1940-October 1941.

The limited series narrates remarkably how Fry, Mary Jayne Gold, Albert Hirschmann, Lisa Fittko and Hiram Bigham accomplished a difficult task relying mainly on the financial heft of heiress Ms. Gold.

What is particularly interesting and entertaining is the fact that the famous refugees are given parts to play. Personalities like German surrealist painter Max Ernst, Jewish economist Albert Hirschmann, Jewish painter Marc Chagall, Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin, Russian anti-Stalinist Victor Serge, political scientist Hannah Arendt (who's considered one of the most influential political theorists in the 20th century and who was married to Benjamin's cousin Gunther Anders), and German satirist and writer Walter Mehring. Throw American art collector par excellence Peggy Guggenheim into the mix and you have a totally whimsical brew. (By the way, Peggy married Ernst later.)

Such an assemblage of individuals, at wartime, is awesome.

This makes the movie the refugees' story. There are unforgettable scenes involving the 2 Walters (Benjamin and Mehring) but it would be tantamount to spoilers.

Storytelling is straightforward but engaging without a hint of the past which forces the inquisitive to dig deeper and consult Google for additional information. Somehow, this enriches the viewing experience. But action is consistent and there are tense moments to be sure. It ebbs and flows but the viewer isn't distracted.

As mentioned in the beginning, this is a story based on real people and events. But creators Anna Winger and Daniel Hendler took the liberty of adding plot elements that don't have basis in fact but intended to embellish the story arc. It's up to the viewer to find out what these are in the spirit of fun

Gillian Jacobs, Cory Michael Smith, Lucas Englander and Cory Stoll nail their parts.

Overall, it's a watchable, informative film with great entertainment value.

This series is 'based upon' a true story and draws from the interest that generates. It does involve and blend depictions of real people - including great artists and figures from the period who we now know and revere. There is a lot of name dropping in this drama to sprinkle a little extra magic in there.

This being said it's for light entertainment value only. We have lots of sexual intrigue and what I'm reluctant to describe as tension (it never really builds as tension to be honest). There's sex - let's put it that way - but again, nothing graphic, nothing explicit. Likewise, there's a war context - but there's no real fear or tension about the place (even when people are arrested you are never in fear of their lives). There is no depiction of mistreatment even if it is spoken of and some of the language is of the day (opinions shared by Nazis and sympathisers) to make you feel revolted.

This is a drama that takes you to a viewing platform from where you ought to be able to see all these things - but it is just short of showing you anything powerful or shocking. Instead it's foggy and misty, and you're distracted by an indulgence of clothing, houses, scenery, and an inexplicable mood that might explode into a party or a song and dance at any moment. There is the token anxious character here or there - but they the party poopers rather than someone making a genuine and valid point. We see little of PTSD, flashbacks, anxiety attacks, worries or concerns. The artists are resilient in their joy - they are not preoccupied with expressing the darkness of the surrounding circumstances.

Likewise, when the fleeing refugee Jews make it to the south coast of France in their hopes of escape - they don't find each other huddled in masses, cough and starving, exhausted from walking hundreds of miles - instead it looks like a beach holiday. One man runs delighted into the sea and splashes in the water (salt water that nobody could drink). Nobody is concerned about where to find food or how to make the next venture to escape the country (given their backs are to the sea).

Overall this is a problematic depiction and it's lightweight. It's for enjoyment - not to recreate anything sharply. How accurate it is, I find very questionable.

Nevertheless if you suspend that problematic aspect, you can enjoy a lot about the series. There is some decent acting and the lead female actress, Gillian Jacobs, is very charming and charismatic, giving an enjoyable performance overall. I'd like to see her in something that pushed her a bit harder to be honest.

This is a solid 6 - but overall there are better dramas out there and this will never be regarded as a classic because it's too forgettable and it's just not compelling.

This series started very strong, sympathetic lead characters, beautiful cinematography, great set design and an interesting mixture of authentic historical events and fictional elements.

I really appreciated they created a series about the idealism and deep humanity of personalities like Varian Fry and Lisa Fittko, who risked their own lifes to save so many others. They were true heroes, lights in the darkness of their time and should serve as Role Models for our days, which are tumbling into darker times once again.

It made me think about the refugee crisis of our times.

With the difference that now refugees aren't trying to escape from Europe but try to get there desperately to find a better living.

I just couldn't give it a higher rating because script got thinner in the later episodes, being watered down by too many annoying and flat melodramatic cliches.