Denial has gotten generally positive, albeit mixed reviews. Interestingly, and more than a little ironically, the movie is being criticized for very much the same reason that the protagonist had to navigate in real life. Reviewers criticize the film for not having an emotional center, not being dramatic enough; Holocaust Studies Professor Deborah E. Lipstad was warned by her formidable British legal staff that her case would be won not on its human and moral merits- but by the cold, indisputable facts of the matter.
And the matter is a grave one indeed- what is being disputed is the very existence of The Holocaust, The Final Solution. And if Lipstad's team can't convince the judge on the merits of the facts and logic presented (not as easy as you may think)- the Holocaust itself will be legally cast into a cloud of arguable, disputable doubt. History by decree- how ya like them apples?
Denial, however, is first and foremost a film about trust. Why on earth would you trust anyone you don't know with the most important thing in your entire life- that which you are, in fact, duly credited as being most knowledgeable about to begin with?
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