The Last Nazi (2019)

The survivors of four generations of a Jewish family are rocked to their core when the family's 92-year-old matriarch makes a stunning confession.

Director:

Jeff Lipsky

Writer:

Jeff Lipsky

Stars:

Rebecca Schull, Jill Durso, AJ Cedeno

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rebecca Schull	...	Claire
Jill Durso	...	Olivia
AJ Cedeno	...	Josh (as AJ Cedeño)
Reed Birney	...	Harry
Julie Fain Lawrence	...	Melody
Sami Bray	...	Marin
Jagger Nelson	...	Jonathan
Russell Koplin	...	Jessica
Ariel Eliaz	...	Ben
Cara Yeates	...	Laia
David Gottfried	...	Beachcomer
Madelyn Barkocy	...	Layla
Amir Royale	...	Omar
Brandon Damiano	...	Eran
Jacob Goodhart	...	Kevin

Storyline

The first day of Rosh Hashana; in a park, a close-knit family performs a prayer ritual. Two characters in their early 30s, Josh and Olivia are soon to be married. He is a Modern Orthodox Jew, and she has converted from Catholicism to Judaism. Josh's father, Harry, is a sardonic agnostic. Claire, Josh's great-grandmother, stays mostly silent but is clearly full of affection. After the marriage, Claire meets Josh and Olivia on a beach outing and makes a startling confession. She initiates it indirectly, by showing them photos that she's been holding in a safe deposit box. It's an odd place to keep one's past, but Claire has very good reason to have hidden hers. Not only is the beloved matriarch not a Jew, she was herself a member of the Nazi Party in World War II Germany. Claire, who remains an anti-Semite but nevertheless also continues to insist that she loves her Jewish children, has brain cancer. She wishes to travel out of New York for an assisted suicide. Some of her family ...

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Plot Keywords:

survivor | 

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Genres:

Drama

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User Reviews

Could Have Been Better

This is quite an original film, actually a film of ideas. A lot of talking goes on, seemingly as a vehicle both to deliver information and then to discuss it and share views. The topics are mainly religion, specifically Judaism, Catholicism, and belief (or not) in god. Another topic is death, including euthanasia, and another is the Holocaust.

Unfortunately, during lengthy soliloquies, nothing much happens other than the camera focusing on the face of whomever is either talking or listening. The best of these "speeches" was the longest one, by the character Claire, the great grandmother who turns out to be a Nazi. Actually, one thing I found fascinating was how as she narrated her story to her great grandchildren (who are young adults), and to me, the viewer, she was transformed. From an intelligent and somewhat artsy grandmotherly type, she became a German Nazi who even after seventy years embodies the hideous character of the Nazi mentality. The other characters having to deal with their feelings caused by the duplicity of Claire, along with the implications of her going from being a Jew to a Christian (and Nazi!) becomes the theme of the film.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Website

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 March 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Plainview Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1