The Last Rescue

**_A small group of Americans try to survive German-occupied France_** Several months after D-Day in northern France, three soldiers and two Army Corps nurses get stuck behind enemy lines and try to make it out alive. "The Last Rescue" (2015) is a WW2 indie that’s small in budget but big in heart. The producers didn’t have the resources for authentic German vehicles (tanks or Kubelwagens) or convincing CGI and so did the best they could with what was available. Yet the movie scores well in the most important department, human interest. This is basically a survival flick focusing on a small group of people who are thrust into a life or death situation and must work together in order to survive. The characters are believable, generally speaking, and the acting is very good. Sure, there are some unlikely elements, like the soldier hiding behind an open door, but all kinds of improbable scenarios like this took place in real-life. This is not to say that the titular rescue at the climax is believable. It's not; but, then again, it IS a movie. In regards to cast, Elizabeth Rice and Hallie Shepherd appear on the feminine front as Nancy and Vera respectively. Elizabeth starred in the excellent horror indie “From Within” (2008). She’s blossomed into a beautiful, intelligent woman. On the other side of the gender spectrum there’s Brett Cullen (the hardened Captain), Cody Kasch (the naïve Pvt. Lewis), Darren Keefe Reiher (Lt. Maxwell) and Tino Struckmann (German Lt. Dittrich). Bottom line, this is similar to “Saving Private Ryan” (1997) as far as the small band of Americans traversing through northern France and encountering German patrols here and there. The difference is that it includes two women in the main cast and is very much a ‘B’ movie (with hand-held cameras). So don’t expect any Tiger tanks, demolished European cities or authentic French locations. The film runs 1 hour, 46 minutes, and was shot in Alabama. GRADE: B-