Movie #832 "The Book Thief" is a gem of a film. I LOVED the book, so I went in with some trepidation, esp. with the critiques really slamming it (they are all over the place on it) and giving it 48% on rotten tomatoes (but they are the same critiques that gave "No Country for Old Men" such a high percentage, so whatever!) The audience is giving it in the 80s so it is being appreciated. Just when you think this is just another holocaust film, you are wrong. It has "Death" as the narrator, and he is so matter of fact, it is very disarming..........but so effective! This story is a small story in the vast scheme of things during this time --- a kind of reverse Anne Frank hiding story, but about so much more ----what I found most interesting is that it is from a German girl's point of view, and what happens at the end of this film is very hard to take, emotionally, but what a wallop that will stay in your mind forever. A worthwhile story, told well, acted well, with great imagery (esp. a memorable snow man scene), and wonderful themes, one centered on the importance of the written word. I hope it gets a nomination because it is worthy of it. It might be again mistreated like "Extremely Loud" was last year. Misunderstood (critics didn't even get that the lead in that film had asperger's) and just thrown into the holocaust bin of films that they've seen before. But it isn't. (oh, one complaint --- wanted Liesel to show more of a change from young to old, and not just in hair style, and wanted the pace to pick up just a tad in some scenes, but these are small complaints and the reason for the 4.7 out of 5)
The Book Thief2013PG-13 I'd give it 4.7 stars out of 5
Young Liesel steals books to teach herself to read, giving her refuge from the horrors of Nazi Germany and her cold foster parents. When not reading, she forms a bond with the Jewish man her adoptive family is hiding in their home.
- Cast:
- Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Ben Schnetzer, Nico Liersch, Sandra Nedeleff, Kirsten Block,Matthias Matschke, Carina N. Wiese, Hildegard Schroedter
- Genre:
- Military & War Dramas, 20th Century Period Pieces, Dramas Based on Contemporary Literature, Drama
No comments:
Post a Comment