Review: THE ZOOKEEPER

In an unnamed Eastern European country ravaged by civil war, zookeeper Ludovic (Sam Neill) along with a veterinarian (Om Puri) cares for the animals in a small zoo: a couple of tigers, lions, a panther, several primates (including a pregnant monkey), a couple of elephants and various zebras, llamas, goats, sheep and birds. The city is being bombed, and they’re hoping for a break in the fighting so that relief agencies can airlift the animals to safety.

As Ludovic trudges to and from his dreary job (light years away from the prestigious government job he had before the war), Neill gives an excellent browbeaten performance, his sullen demeanor conveying the shell-shocked, anguished, lowly zoo employee. All the other employees have fled so he is left with the enormous and emotional responsibility of taking care of the animals in the deserted zoo.

The sanctuary of the zoo doesn’t last long as a group of soldiers called The Young Lions, suspicious of the vet’s ethnicity, take him and brutally murder him, leaving Ludovic completely alone. Just as you think he’s about to sink into despair (and vodka), a young boy named Zioig (Javor Loznica) and his mother Ankica (Gina McKee) show up seeking protection from the war outside. Survival becomes desperate as the war inches closer and closer to the zoo.

Sam Neill is a consistently good actor, and he doesn’t disappoint here. Ludovic is the heart of the film – he is the caretaker of the last glimmer of humanity in an awful situation, and Sam Neill’s restrained performance is a perfect fit. All three characters see hope in the zoo – as long as the animals are okay they will be too. The boy becomes attached to a mama wolf that has just had a litter of pups; the mother adopts the pregnant monkey; Ludovic struggles to save an elephant that isn’t getting enough to eat. But the reality of war can’t be stopped, and all that is left is a few precious moments and the need to survive. Relief workers eventually show up, but for some it is too late.

THE ZOOKEEPER is well directed, poignant and emotional. However it is also very depressing and at times difficult to watch. The scenes of animals suffering are a few too many, including one that dragged on so long I had to skip past it, and while I get the importance of such scenes to the movie, it’s ultimately too much. And in the end, that could be why this never saw a theatrical release and is now on DVD.

**** out of 5 stars

**Official Selection of the Toronto International Film Festival**
**Official Selection of the Santa Barbara Film Festival**
**Official Selection of the Seattle International Film Festival**
**Best Film and Best Actor(Sam Neill) Fort Launderdale Film Festival**
**Best Film Pensacola Bay Film Festival**
**Best Film Taos Talking Picture**