This drama interweaves real biography into the mix as a former officer (Colin Firth) in the British Army who suffered through extreme torture as a prisoner of war at a Japanese labor camp during WWII discovers that one of his tormentors is still alive years later. The older Brit, despite having settled down with a woman (Nicole Kidman) unaware of the horrific details of his past, embarks on a journey to find the man and exact some degree of harsh justice. Director Jonathan Teplitzky (Burning Man) oversees a cast that includes veterans Stellan Skarsgård and Hiroyuki Sanada, and Jeremy Irvine as the earlier incarnation of Firth’s young soldier. Now open at Mariemont Theatre. (R) Not screened in time for review
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2014.