"Denial," A Highly Recommended Movie About The Holocaust And "Fake News"

Dear J,

I hope you are all well.

Last night, friend Chuck and I watched "Denial."

I expected it to be a good movie and every expecation was blown out of the water.

Chuck expected "Denial" to depress him, but was moved and energized. 

If you have not seen "Denial," it recounts the lawsuit brought by self-styled (and very popular) British "historian," David Irving, against Emory University professor Deborah Lipstadt.

The lawsuit -- David Irving v. Penguin Books And Deborah Lipstadt -- was prompted by Lipstadt's 1993 book "Denying The Holocaust" (in which she levels no-holds-barred criticisms of Irving).

The movie is based on her account of the trial, "My Day In Court With A Holocaust Denier."

In brief, a London court must decide whether the Holocaust is "fake news."

I do not want to give away any spoilers and I encourage you to "go into the movie" as uninformed as possible with an eye to maximizing suspense.

In closing, I will mention that you and A would enjoy this movie together. 

Or so I believe. 

The legal process alone -- particularly as it relates to fundamental differences between British and American law -- will fascinate you both.

"Denial" only gets a cumulative rating of 6.6 on IMDb, but I venture this undervaluation is kin to the undervaluation of Robert Redford's similarly superb courtroom procedural, "The Conspirator." 

In both cases, I suspect American viewers, accustomed to "action," found each movie too talky.

Not I.

The dialogue is captivating throughout. 

And when moments of distilled drama do present they impress me as gems set in precious conversation.

Paz con ustedes,

Alan

PS Twice during the movie I exclaimed that the protagonist (played by Rachel Weisz) "looks just like my friend Jane back in the day."