By M. Faust

If the phrase “the Wonder universe” means nothing to you, you may not be the target audience for “White Bird.” The phrase refers to the work of children’s author R. J. Palacio, emphasizing the need for acceptance and compassion in dealing with others. 

On the other hand, fans of Palacio’s book also may not be the best audience for the film directed by Marc Forster (Monsters Ball). It hews more closely to a different genre, about Europeans during World War II who sheltered Jews from the Nazis. In this case, it is Julien (Orlando Schwerdt), a teen crippled by polio, who shelters his Jewish classmate Sara (Ariella Glaser) in the family barn, despite the fact that he has always been an object of derision at his school. 

This is a harsh backdrop for a story seeking to provide a gentle moral lesson for children, and while it isn’t as horrifying as stories from this era often are, Julien’s fate seems unnecessarily cruel. Adults who may be drawn to the historical era and the name stars in the cast (Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson), on the other hand, will likely find the story adds little to the genre. It’s at the Dipson Amherst, Dipson McKinley, Regal Quaker, and Regal Transit.

M. Faust is a veteran music critic and a contributor to The Buffalo Hive.