The perspective is more off-kilter in the tense 1948 drama The Fallen Idol, directed by Carol Reed from a screenplay by Graham Greene, now at Film Forum. It tells the story of an illicit love affair and a death as seen through the eyes of a young boy (Bobby Henrey), the son of a French ambassador to England, whose take on what’s happening is . . . well, young. He sees much of the action through the banister looking down on the marble floor of the embassy foyer—a little stage over which the butler (Ralph Richardson) presides. And the ways in which he tries to protect his surrogate father is a testament to how the best intentions can breed disaster.

Night Watch
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Fox Searchlight. R.

The Pink Panther
Directed by Shawn Levy. MGM. PG.

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
Directed by Marc Rothemund. Zeitgeist Films. Not Rated.

E-mail: filmcritic@newyorkmag.com.

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