FEBRUARY 24 • 2022 | 49

I

n the World War II romance and musical 
I’ll Find You, love conquers all.
Set for theatrical release on Feb. 25, 
the 1-hour and 56-minute film — inspired 
by the true stories of musicians in 1930s 
and 1940s Poland — offers a heartwarm-
ing twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet 
story, this time set in the midst of war-torn 
Europe.
Since childhood, Catholic opera singer 
Robert Pulaski (Leo Suter) and Jewish 
violinist Rachel Rubin (Adelaide Clemens) 
have been inseparable. The film, directed 
by Martha Coolidge and filmed in Krakow 

and Lodz, opens just before the 1939 Nazi 
invasion of Poland.
We begin the film by learning about the 
ever-evolving story of Pulaski and Rubin. 
Pulaski, absent for two years following an 
awkward kiss with Rubin where he pro-
fesses his love to her, finally returns home. 
Yet he finds Rubin moved on with her life, 
engaged to a Jewish man, David Rosenfeld, 
until Pulaski’s unexpected visit changes 
plans — and Rubin’s feelings.
Jumping back in time, I’ll Find You trav-
els to the childhood years of Pulaski and 
Rubin, when they first meet watching a 
street performer put on a show with a bear. 
Rubin, fiery and opinionated, tells Pulaski 
how awful it is that a bear should perform 
like that, while Pulaski argues that the bear 
could have a much worse fate — he could 
have been hunted instead.
Pulaski then heads to music school, 
where he is a new student. Unsurprisingly, 
Rubin walks through the door, enrolled in 
the same class as Pulaski. Immediately, the 
two are at odds. Rubin, who excels at violin, 
overshadows Pulaski, who at the time hasn’t 
truly found his calling in music. Pulaski 
complains to his father that he wants to quit 
music but continues anyway.

At the school, the music students practice 
in a secret room, hidden behind a bookcase 
and unlockable with a key nestled inside a 
book on Chopin. Later, this room would 
come to serve a much more important pur-
pose; but for now, it’s where Pulaski finally 
begins to drop his defense.
Performing at a Christmas event, Pulaski 
finally draws up the courage to apologize to 
Rubin, who accepts the gesture. At the same 
event, Pulaski sings and stuns the room 
with his incredible opera voice, a voice that 
he didn’t realize he had. Pulaski’s true musi-
cal talent is finally revealed, putting him 
in the same ranks as Rubin as he embraces 
opera singing.
Growing up, the two dream of perform-
ing together at the legendary Carnegie Hall 
in New York City. Yet as the film fast-for-
wards to the present, when they’re once 
again adults, their dreams are put on hold 
as news of an imminent German invasion 
takes hold of Poland.

ESCAPING POLAND
Realizing time is limited and growing closer 
to Rubin following his return, Pulaski tells 
her she shouldn’t marry Rosenfeld, that he’s 
not right for her. As both families plan their 

PHOTOS BY JAROSLAW SOSISNSKI

In war-torn Europe, one man 
stops at nothing to save 
the love of his life. 

I’ll Find You

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ARTS&LIFE
FILM REVIEW

Connie Nielsen as Lena 
Moser-Drabowska in I’ll 
Find You.

Stellan 
Scarsgard

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