Movie review: "Defiance" (2008)

The gist: Belarus, 1941 – when most of his family and many neighbouring Jewish farmers are massacred by Nazi collaborators, Tuvia Bielski (Daniel Craig) exacts a bloody revenge before fleeing deep into an immense forest with his brothers Zus (Liev Schreiber) and Asael (Jamie Bell), plus a few other escapees. Word spreads to the ghettos and their band swells to the size of a village, making subsistence much tougher and resulting in power struggles. The Bielskis' tribe eventually attracts the attention of the Russian Army and renewed interest from the German forces...

Selling points: Yet another astonishing story of survival from WW2 – and one for which the heroes who lived through the hails of bullets and bombs, freezing winters, food shortages and outbreaks of disease have sought no recognition. On a pervy note, the squalor of the camp can't diminish the luminous beauty of Asael's young bride Chaya, as played by Oz actress Mia Wasikowska (the main gal in Tim Burton's "Alice In Wonderland", due 2010).

It's kinda like: History. However, it's been suggested the amount of combat between Jewish partisans and enemy troops has been exaggerated. The accents were probably more believable back then, too – I'm looking at you, Mr Craig.

Final word: The Brothers Grimmer.

[Australian cinema release date: February 19, 2009]