MarthaE

Because I have a great interest in the period, I watched all of it; it is OK, there are good moments but overall, I kept watching hoping it would get better. More romance than story of what the ERC was doing. Very little at all about who the people were that they were rescuing. A lot of "side plots" that made the whole a tad diffuse. The Consul portrayed here is a real schmuck (no doubt reflecting the attitude of too many in the State Dept at the time)--can find no reference as to the veracity of this individual anywhere--fictional character? Not enough attention paid to Vice Consul Bingham. The characterization of Varian Fry is not flattering: he comes across as stiff, very naive and almost carried by the others in the ERC. The others come across far stronger. I recall an early 2000's film, Varian's War, that portrayed the story better. The three stars are for the production values more than the telling of the story. A tad disappointed. Better to find the old movie (hard to find, not streamed anywhere I can find), or to read "Villa Air-Bel". ( Tried to read Orringer's book that inspired this but didn't finish it; more focused on Fry's love life as far as I got.). The story of what Fry and the ERC did is well worth telling, but it is a shame it got this treatment.