• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
San Clemente Times
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Explore SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Best of San Clemente
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Money Matters
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Triton Football Preview
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Explore SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Best of San Clemente
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Money Matters
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Triton Football Preview
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
San Clemente Times
No Result
View All Result

At the Movies: ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’ Deserves More

Staff by Staff
April 6, 2017 5:00AM
in At the Movies, GETTING OUT
At the Movies: ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’ Deserves More

Jessica Chastain stars as Antonina Zabinski in director Niki Caro's THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Anne Marie Fox / Focus Features

0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Megan Bianco

Jessica Chastain and cute zoo animals feels like a good enough combination to get movie fans into the theaters. That’s certainly what the marketing for Focus Features’ new period piece The Zookeeper’s Wife would lead you to believe. The film is five years in the making as a somewhat passion project for Chastain, and the end result leaves a bit to be desired despite all the ingredients for success.

Jessica Chastain stars as Antonina Zabinski in director Niki Caro's THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Anne Marie Fox / Focus Features
Jessica Chastain stars as Antonina Zabinski in director Niki Caro’s THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Anne Marie Fox / Focus Features

In 1939 Poland, Jan Zabinski (Johen Heldenbergh) and wife Antonina (Chastain) run a very popular local zoo in Warsaw, where they live with their young son, Ryszard (Timothy Radford and Val Maloku). One fall evening, the zoo becomes one of many victims of the Nazi German bombings to overtake the country. Together, the family decides to use the remains of the zoo to not only save the animal survivors of the attacks, but also the Jewish targets. Antonina also manages to keep friendly alliances with German zoologist Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl).

The Zookeeper’s Wife starts off as almost a pro-animal rights feature, but then quickly turns into the typical World War II drama we’ve seen before. Which is a shame because Heldenbergh does give a strong performance, and director Niki Caro has made quality dramas before. Angela Workman’s script should have had a lot of potential not only from Diane Ackerman’s original novel, but also the diaries of the real Antonina Zabinski. Instead we have the usual emotional manipulation using cute animals and a precocious kid, and Chastain trying her best to hold her faux-Polish accent.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Tags: CaliforniaEntertainmentMegan BiancoMoviesOrange CountyReviewSan ClementeThe Zookeeper's Wife
ShareTweetPin
Staff

Staff

Related Posts

Gas Station

Property Owner Removes Abandoned Gas Station Following Settlement Agreement with City

March 22, 2023
San Clemente Baseball Dominant in 8-Game Win Streak

San Clemente Baseball Dominant in 8-Game Win Streak

March 22, 2023
Landslide

Landslide Leaves Evacuated Residents’ Futures in Limbo

March 22, 2023
Harbor

Supervisor Foley Announces Harbor Advisory Committee

March 22, 2023
Next Post
Paddle Like A Mongoose: Annual Mongoose Cup Comes to Dana Point Harbor this Weekend

Paddle Like A Mongoose: Annual Mongoose Cup Comes to Dana Point Harbor this Weekend

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

SC Times Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get the SC Times delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Dana Point Times
  • The Capistrano Dispatch
  • Terms of Use
  • About Us

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Explore SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Best of San Clemente
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Go See Do
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Money Matters
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
    • Triton Football Preview
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2023 Picket Fence Media