Sophie's Choice (8.0/10)

This 1972 psychological drama delivers a heavy, emotionally layered story anchored by a remarkable performance from Meryl Streep. Her portrayal of Sophie is powerful and deeply affecting, and it’s easy to imagine this being one of the more demanding roles of her career. Emotionally, the film is a whirlwind, constantly shifting with the highs and lows of the characters and their relationships. At times the runtime feels a bit long, and a few scenes can test your patience, which made it easy to lose focus here and there. Still, the film’s performances and emotional weight ultimately carry it through. "Stingo (Peter MacNicol), a young writer, moves to Brooklyn in 1947 to begin work on his first novel. As he becomes friendly with Sophie (Meryl Streep) and her lover Nathan (Kevin Kline), he learns that Sophie is a Holocaust survivor. Flashbacks reveal her harrowing story, from pre-war prosperity to Auschwitz. In the present, Sophie and Nathan's relationship increasingly unravels as Stingo grows closer to Sophie and Nathan's fragile mental state becomes ever more apparent."