The Book Thief

— “The Book Thief” is nicely crafted and fairly well acted, but it seems a little more like a made-for-TV movie than a theatrical release. It’s a bit too sentimental and seems to exist outside of historical context. The horror is relegated to a heightened fear in the neighborhood, a quick scene of Jews being led to a concentration camp, and a bombing or two. Somehow the children, while professing a hatred of Hitler, still seem innocent enough. In fact, there’s something naïve about the whole thing, and you’d think that would be hard to do when you have Death narrating. Remember, this is based on a young adult novel, so it isn’t surprising that there is a great deal of compassion and hope and morality in the story, even if the focus is a bit narrow.

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[2013. 131 min. Directed by Peter BergBrian Percival. Starring Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, and Emily Watson.]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/book-thief-movie-review/2013/11/13/ea0f896a-47db-11e3-a196-3544a03c2351_story.html