Movie Review: I’ll Find You – Love, Music & War in An Epic Must Watch.

Although this is a love story set in mid 20th Century Europe it feels a bit fresh and timeless. The story is about a catholic opera singer and a Jewish violin virtuoso who fall in love as kids and have their love challenged not only by the differences in their backgrounds but also by the German invasion of Poland.

Robert and Rachel are first introduced to us in the film as kids and we see how they grow up how they each discover their talents whilst attending a top music school. As the years pass by, they become almost inseparable and we see their affection for each other grow.  Robert leaves to study opera in Italy and Rachel is forced by her parents to marry someone they consider appropriate for her.

But the love between Robert and Rachel always leads them back to each other. Their greatest test comes when Poland is invaded by Germany. Rachel being from a Jewish family is at risk of being killed or captured. And she eventually is and shipped off to a concentration camp. But Robert’s love for her knows no bounds. He joins the resistance and journeys to find her.

He becomes the prodigy of an opera star Benno Moser who has deep German ties. Benno secretly despises the Nazi’s even though he occasionally performs for them and is revered by them. He helps Robert track down Rachel using his connections. Robert gets to perform along Rachel in a concentration camp at one time. The two barely make eye contact throughout but their emotions and their strong affection for each other is very visible.

Talent wise, Leo Suter and Adelaide Clemens are a perfect match for the roles of Robert and Rachel. The pair look like perfect couple and you can’t help but wish for them to be together throughout the film.

Stellen Skargard is also an absolute delight to see in this film as well. He plays the renowned opera singer Bennon Moser with so much pois you would believe that was his real life. But he is not the only seasoned talent associated with this film.

The film is directed by the seasoned Martha Coolidge whose credits include Material Girl, Out to Sea and The Prince & Me. Clearly, she is no newbie when it come to love stories and she brings enough to bare in this film.

Production and art direction wise this film is almost flawless. The look and feel of a period piece are very prolific. Even with the backdrop of a brutal on-going war, the film still manages to present to you some sights and sounds that as beautiful and pleasant to see like the love that Rachel and Robert share.

You could almost mistake this for a film produced by a big major studio with unlimited funding with the way it looks. The costuming and props also feel very accurate to the time and era. The film also cleverly uses some black and white archive footages of the actual war to help create the right timeline. It doesn’t focus so much on the horrors of war but you see and feel its effects throughout the film.

I’ll Find You is a film certainly made for the big screen. But does it have the big screen appeal? Does it make a huge splash that makes you want to watch it already? It might be an overused subject matter or a story that is not really new but it carries its own uniqueness that makes it seem almost original.

It is simply war, love and music well wrapped together into a beautiful piece that serves to remind us all that love conquers all.

However, the biggest truth about this film is that, it is one of those that is likely to fall under the radar of many film lovers. It is visual and sonically pleasing whilst telling a great love story that is enough to make any one want to fall in love even in the midst of chaos. But it is nothing loud and brash that would immediately get your attention.

I myself had this film sitting for weeks on end, not sure enough or even motivated to see it. But it was certainly worth the watch both the first and second times.

I would rate this a well-deserved 7.5/10.  It draws you in slowly and delivers a good enough story that makes you want to look past its few glaring flaws.

I’ll Find You is available on demand and I would highly recommend that you see it.