DENIAL film review

– By Cate Marquis –

‘Denial’ stars Rachel Weisz as Jewish prof in real-life court battle against Holocaust denier

“Denial” is a film adaption of Deborah Lipstadt’s book “History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier.” In the late 1990s, British history writer David Irving sued Jewish-American historian Lipstadt in British court for libel, for calling him a Holocaust denier in her 1993 book “Denying the Holocaust.” Unlike here, the British legal system assumes the accused is guilty until proven innocent in libel cases. If she did not defend herself in court, Irving would win by default and that outcome would give Holocaust deniers legal standing. Lipstadt had no choice but to fight.

The film is a well-made, restrained courtroom drama, but what it lacks in cinematic bells-and-whistles, it makes up for in its intelligent drama and important topic.

Rachel Weisz plays the bold Lipstadt and Timothy Spall plays Irving, in this serious drama from British director Mick Jackson (“L.A. Story,” “Temple Grandin”).

READ THE FULL REVIEW AT ST. LOUIS JEWISH LIGHT:
http://www.stljewishlight.com/features/article_5808f5c4-8b17-11e6-8bb5-237242ad9878.html