This is a Mini Series I was waiting for, I’m a sucker for War movies and series, even thought this was presented as a drama during the World War II its still very interesting, but this is a series I will have to be very careful with I’m going to post about it, there are very sensitive topics about what happen during those times, for me rather than a drama and thriller series I will treat it as an educational series based on all the things that are told, everything that happen during those times, back then things were very tense, there was betrayal, murder, abuse, friends snitching on friends and family to survive, a lot of very bad things inhuman things happen during that time that need to be respected, I might get carry away some times but my intention is not to disrespect anyone.
Because of where this story is develop there are actors that I have no clue who they are but there are others like Liev Schreiber and Joe Cole that I’m more familiar with, after watching the first two episodes got to say the cast really does a great job, have no complains about the cast or the production, A Small Light has been a hit with a 8.2/10 on IMDB as known a very high score, other than the entertaining aspect I cant say anything about inconsistencies on the story since I’m don’t know much about Anne Frank story or Miep Gies the two main characters.
This drama develops in Amsterdam, involve Miep Gies played by Bel Powley and Anne Frank played by Billie Boullet, Miep becomes the secretary of Anne’s father Mr. Otto Frank after her step – parents wanted her to marry one of her step brothers since she had no job and no husband but eventually she got the job as Otto’s secretary, Anne is a young girl who questions everything and have no fear to say what is on her mind. The Frank family had to go into hiding after the Germans invade Amsterdam, they are jew and during those times anything can happen to them, Mr. Frank asks Miep to help them while they hiding bringing them food and medicine which becomes a very difficult task after some time for that amount of people, the amount of people hiding were four at first and then increase with time, Miep has good heart and agree to help on the spot without questioning, right from the first episode there were a few tense scenes that I thought some one was going to get killed. The day before Mr. Frank had planned to go hiding his older daughter Margot got called to work at a German camp and they had to do all kind of things to rush into hiding and prevent her to get taken to the German camp.
RTT : https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/a_small_light
Episode one starts with Miep who is the girl in the center of this image and the franks, the girls, Anne on her right and Margot on her left, Miep is about to get Margot to the hiding place first since she has been already ask to report to be transfer to a German camp but they have to go through a military checkpoint, Margot knows what they are facing, they could easily be killed on the spot for many reasons, Margot had no ID, not wearing the yellow start assign to Jews only during that time and Margot she was about to shit a brick and who wouldn’t facing such adversity during war times, with Miep cunning they manage to pass the checkpoint.
This is Casmir played by Laurie Kynaston he is the main reason Miep gets to the Franks, as I mention Miep is adopted and his step parents wanted her to marry Casmir since she got no job or husband, well Casmir cares for her very much besides he doesn’t want to get married to Miep mainly because he prefer men, he gets Miep and interview with Mr. Frank where she has to go through a series of days making Jam since she has no experience as secretary until Mr. Frank explains her she was basically training before she could talk to their clients she needed to know how to make Jam.
Miep likes to party with her friend Tess and on her first pay day she decide to have some fun at a local bar, they went dancing both alone without couple and Miep decided she needs a man and there was Jan her future husband sitting there reading a book while everyone was dancing, Miep tries to hit it off with Jan but at first it doesn’t work, he starts talking about the book he is reading but at the same time she felt he was trying to lecture her so she eventually left without telling him as he waits for her next to the band, days latter they met again after Miep stop by his place by accident looking for a woman who is selling kittens and she wants one for Anne and Margot.
Next day it was Mr. Frank birthday and his wife plan a dinner where some friends including Miep were invited and she brought Jan, they start talking about politics and how Holland wouldn’t be taken by the Germans as they are neutral, Miep was very naive to believe so and Jan remain very neutral by not giving his opinion at all but Mr. Frank already went through that situation back in Venice where he originally is from. Mr. Frank already knew what was going to happen, in Venice they were already discriminated for been jew and if the Germans take Amsterdam he knows they will have to go into hiding, when that happen he already had a couple of weeks working with Miep and understood he could trust her because she was the one he put in charge of his company while he run the business in the background.
On May 15, 1940 a few days latter after Mr. Frank birthday, Miep believed Holland wouldn’t be taken and that they were not in any kind of danger, German troops arrive Amsterdam, it only took them a few days and now the troops and the Queen are gone leaving Amsterdam to the Germans, Mr. Frank already went through this situation and knows the best thing to do is keep working as if nothing has change, at that point in war Germans were strong and had no need to destroy Amsterdam, it seems it was used as a camp on their way to France, I’m no expert on the matter so I might be wrong about it, at least that’s how things look on the series, while Miep is very worried about whats going on Mr. Frank takes it like this is nothing new to him.
On afternoon at work, Mr. Frank calls Miep to his office, he wanted to talk to her about a serious matter, I thought she was going to be fired at first mainly because of the decline in the economy, I thought Mr. Frank was going to giver her a speech about how bad things are for the business and had to let her go, as I usually do never research a series before start watching it, I prefer to be surprise and go through the experience to then build and opinion, I didn’t know Mr. Frank would have to go hiding and it was the main context of the series, he had to rush into hiding because Margot was selected to work on a German camp, that afternoon he explain Miep how he and his family has to hide and that he choose her to help them get food and medicine while they hide to protect his daughter, she immediately say yes and this brings her a few inconvenience at home with her now husband Jan who think it was very selfish from her to take such decision without consulting him first, Miep thinks she didn’t have to as it is the right thing to do, help Mr Frank and his family but it doesn’t only put them both at risk but anyone who is related to them, friends and family, plus the entire hustle that is moving all the Frank’s stuff to the hiding place, transport Margot without letting the Germans take her, getting them food, eventually Jan agree to help Miep after all he loves her and knows its the right thing to do.
Usually on this World War II theme series Germans have lots of spies and I think Miep’s friend Tess is one of them, one night after they meet for dinner she kept talking about the matter, how Jews are hiding and specially ask for Mr. Frank but Miep has very clear she cant tell anyone, eventually she tells Jan but she cant hide it from him, she lives with the man, is her husband but besides Jan she understood she cant trust anyone including Tess, I have a feeling eventually Tess sell them out.
A Small Light is a very entertaining drama based on real events, there is suspense and drama all the time, we will have moments almost on every episode where some one is on the edge to be discover, betrayed, arrested or kill since what they were doing was totally illegal and goes against the German rules, again I don’t know how accurate this series is to the real life events but its very interesting so far, production, cast, scenery, everything looks very high quality in terms of the film, 8/10 is a no brainier for this mini series.
