they may go for shock rather than tears, but they're still pulling our strings; exploitation of a historical tragedy, and of the viewer's revulsion, can take various forms
the movie is nicely shot and sympathetically acted, but there's an odd lack of stakes and urgency, considering their mission... and scarcely a moment or character that strays from the familiar
she [Niki Caro] does a fine job keeping things moving, even though the movie tends to get bogged down, and it isn't helped by the erratic pacing. The Zookeeper's Wife just doesn't offer enough to keep the viewer invested