Movie 2008.01.20 - Zwartboek (a.k.a. Black Book)

First movie of the year at the Hurstville Civic Theater is Zwartboek (a.k.a. Black Book). Movie is about Rachel Stein, a young Jewish singer whose family was massacred by the Nazis during WWII. She later turned spy for the resistance movement and eventually became the girlfriend of the SD (Sicherheitsdienst) head Ludwig Müntze. The surprising twist in the story is that Muntze is actually a decent guy who's just doing his job, and her resistance colleague Hans Akkermans is actually a traitor. In collaboration with another Dutch traitor Mr. Smaal, they've been selling out rich Dutch families to the Nazi, who murders them as they try to cross the border and plunders their money and jewelry.

When the country is liberated by Allied forces, Rachel manages to accost Mr. Smaal and get hold of the titular black book listing the names of his collaborators. Together with resistance leader Gerben Kuipers, they go after Hans Akkermans, who is currently traveling inside a hearse with his ill-gotten wealth. Hidden inside a coffin, Hans dies a slow death when Rachel battens down the coffin's vents. Having exacted revenge for her family's death, she retires to Israel and starts a kibbutz where she spends her days as a schoolteacher with her family.

After the movie, instead of going to our usual cafe haunts at Westfield, GF and I went to Centro Roselands instead. Most of the shops are already closed by then. Good thing we were still able to have a Java mocha chip frappuccino at Starbucks. After a short rest, I joined GF's family for a farewell dinner at Criniti's Restaurant at Parramatta.