When university professor Deborah E. Lipstadt includes World War II historian David Irving in a book about Holocaust deniers, Irving accuses her of libel and sparks a legal battle for historical truth. Now Deborah must battle for historical truth to prove the Holocaust actually occurred.
If there's anybody left who's in any doubt about the versatility, range and sheer courage of British acting legend Timothy Spall, his performance in this searing Holocaust drama will set you straight.
Hare's screenplay (based on Lipstadt's book) is smart and engaging, and veteran director Mick Jackson ("The Bodyguard") treats the material with the heft it deserves.
As Irving, Timothy Spall is wonderfully loathsome. What brings an emotional complexity to the story, however, is Rachel Weisz's bold characterisation of the unsympathetic Lipstadt.
Ultimately "Denial' works, thanks to its strong cast - particularly Spall, who gives Irving a slightly mad gleefulness, and Weisz, whose smart, tough Deborah chafes against the quiet acquiescence expected of her.
