The movie tells the story of an old German couple who lose their son in WWII. The couple then start writing postcards to urge people to protest against Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime.
This is the third feature directed by Swiss actor Perez, and though it's visually handsome it tends rather towards the bland, making what should have been a powerfully emotional story about courage and self-sacrifice rather too tasteful and muted.
Dignified to the point of absurdity, this fact-based dud never gets off the ground, thanks to director Vincent Perez's failure to create - let alone maintain - any level of suspense.
Unfortunately, the relatively sedate nature of the couple's clandestine operations is not all that cinematic, and stoic, straight-bat scripting and direction can make the film seem more dreary than it really should be.
"Alone in Berlin" proceeds like a train crossing a plain. Without twists or turns, hills or valleys, its dramatic engine chugs reliably forward, delivering its cargo of World War II tragedy with bland efficiency.
There's an underlying tension throughout, but what's missing is the heightened emotional ebb and flow that would have delivered a truly haunting story.
When Alone in Berlin reaches the end of its journey, it's the performances of Gleeson and Thompson that ensure we'll never forget the bravery of Otto and Anna.
