Intermittent narration by none other than the titular now-public figure herself both reminds us this is a real live person and assures us of her survival. Her story in her own words is empowering without reducing it to a sensationalized “ripped from the headlines” dramatization. After so much time in forced isolation Ms. Smart is voluntarily coming forward and speaking out. We owe it to her to listen.
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
A literary classic got a makeover and the result is immensely satisfying: love, jealousy, greed, betrayal, imprisonment, survival, escape, fencing, disguise, revenge… its classic elements have been dusted off, polished up and freshly painted. All without frivolous embellishments.