The Counterfeiters (2007)

The Holocaust is such an emotional subject and one that's been covered so many times that my usual reaction to finding out that a movie is set in Nazi Germany is to steel myself for an epic chore. Even the ones that are well-done usually aren't better than, say, The Pianist or Schindler's List -- is there really anything new to cover?

Well, turns out that there is. I had never even heard about the Nazis' counterfeiting effort ("Operation Bernhard") - designed to flood the market with fake pounds and dollars thereby crippling the economies of their enemies. It was run out of a concentration camp with Jewish prisoners specifically assembled for their artistic and banking knowledge.

It's fascinating stuff. The prisoners have to weigh their pride in workmanship against the moral dilemma of "helping" the Nazis -- and several deal with crippling guilt over having a relatively soft imprisonment (pillows, square meals) when prisoners just over the wall are getting shot. Parts of it feel familiar, but it's a whole new story told extremely well.

B+