MOVIE REVIEW: Sophie's Choice (1982)

It took me long enough, but I've truly begun to appreciate what an amazing actress Meryl Streep is. I don't need to go into paragraphs on how adroit she is at her craft, that's all been said and done. What I find amazing is how every film I've seen of hers, she's managed to captivate and hold my attention no matter what the subject matter. She easily outshines the quality of any film she's in, and I could almost watch anything pretty much for the sake of her acting. So strangely enough, I resisted seeing her Best Actress Academy Award-winning performance in Sophie's Choice because the film never really appealed to me; long, melodramatic, and depressing. But it turned out to be that, and then some.

Sophie is a Polish-Catholic immigrant to the United States, living with her mercurial and abusive partner; the Jewish-American lab assistant Nathan. When a young writer named Stingo moves into their boarding house, he becomes captivated by the couple's capricious lifestyle, but moreso by Sophie's past. She resists disclosing any details, but Stingo ultimately figures out for himself that she was a Holocaust survivor. Among her horror stories, is one that led her to make a choice that changed her life forever.

The said "choice" scene is easily the most emotionally scarring scene I've ever seen on film. It also goes without saying that Streep's performance is impeccable in this film, she comes off so chameleon-like in her role you almost cannot recognize her, save for her familiar facial features. The other performances are good as well, and the production design is excellent. While the film does feature the characteristics of melodrama that I've grown ineffectually accustomed to, I can honestly say, the main reason anyone would really watch this is for Meryl Streep. Like most of her other films, everything surrounding her is simply "good", yet she manages to steal the entire show.

7/10

Peace,
- Jon