A story featuring an unlikely friendship between a homeless teen and a Holocaust survivor, sparking larger questions of fear, forgiveness, healing, and world peace.
A film starring multiple Emmy Award-winner Ed Asner should be off to a good start on the basis of his formidable acting career. In “Tiger Within,” Asner demonstrates that at almost 91 years of age, he still has what it takes. As Samuel, an aged Holocaust survivor, he touches our hearts as he shuffles through his lonely, solitary days in the city. We can believe his willingness to take in the runaway girl who is tough as nails, Casey, played by newcomer 14-year-old Margot Josefsohn. That is the premise of the plot. Unfortunately for the actors, the audience can accurately predict the rest of the story. The script lets the actors down with calculable portrayals and events as the plot unfolds.
Josephsohn struggles with her character (via the script) initially and only later in the film do we see glimpses of the real Casey. At fourteen and new to film, she appears to lean heavily on stereotypes and Zielinski either can’t or won’t make the effort to bring her, in the beginning, to connect with her character and identify the subtext that would bring Casey to life. Josefsohn has the look of a runaway but struggles with the heart and sadness beneath the tough exterior.
The screenplay was written by Gina Wendkos, who also co-wrote the screenplay for “Coyote Ugly” and both works suffer the same issues. They both lack imagination and depth, although “Tiger Within” is more worthy in that latter department. The film is drawn out with not enough screen time or conversation to develop the characters and their connection with each other. Each and every developing plot point is expected and there are no surprises. The intensity required for interest, character development, and impact on an audience is just never there. While the premise of forgiveness and healing is never fully developed, it is still worth the audience’s attention and time to witness Asner’s portrayal of Samuel, a survivor of the worst the world has to offer, yet still willing to reach out his hand to a child of the streets.
In Virtual Theaters Friday, December 18th
