Review of Shining Through

Shining Through is one of those clichéd romantic melodramas you just want to shake your head at for its corniness and sheer stupidity. Set in World War II, Linda (Melanie Griffith) works with her boss Ed Leland (Michael Douglas) as a secretary and German translator. However, when the war takes a toll on the United States, Ed enlists her as a spy for the Nazis posing as a nanny for Officer Franz-Otto Dietrich’s (Liam Neeson) children. Seeing it again, I forgot how much chemistry the two leads have with meek and wise working girl Griffith working off smart but naïve lawman Douglas. I also admire the production design and cinematography, how they allude to those romanticized office rooms in Casablanca. Conversely, the Nazi’s were portrayed surprisingly poorly and showcased some of Shining Through’s shark jumping moments. First, they hire Linda as a nanny after firing her as a cook, despite being a complete stranger. Then, they let Ed, disguised as a disabled war veteran with a bloody bandage on his throat, into a train to Berlin without thorough medical inspection. Finally, Dietrich allows Linda into the study room and basement in which his V-1 rocket plans are stashed behind a secret door. Honestly, I should have been angry, but, instead, I was amazed that Linda survived all those years without getting caught the second the other Nazis and Margrete (Joely Richardson) recognized her.

(2 Strudels out of 5)