The Zookeeper's Wife

“The Zookeeper’s Wife” is a film based on Diana Ackerman’s nonfiction book which recites the story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski, Polish owners and operators of the Warsaw Zoo, and their efforts to save victims of the Holocaust during the Nazi occupation of their country. Directed by Niki Caro (“Whalerider”) with a screenplay written by Angela Workman, the film stars Jessica Chastain whose performance alone is worth the price of admission. Although some have unfairly characterized the movie as “Disney does the Holocaust”, the film nevertheless communicates the trauma and severity of this difficult time in Polish history and how some brave individuals risked everything to protect the lives of their countrymen, regardless of religious or cultural differences. I give the film 3 stars as it so clearly demonstrates that many of the animals that invaded the country were outside of the zoo.