"The Book Thief" Review

[madmac]

Thinking I was walking into yet another Holocaust film, this film was a major pleasant surprise!. This is not a holocaust film at all. This film does a lot of things right and captures beautifully the lives of two young children, their parents, and a young Jewish man they decide to harbor in Germany during the middle and end of the Nazi regime.

There's magic in this film in a big way (At least there was for me). I teared up a few times watching this. All the characters are well cast and acted. As well, the scripts are really well written and directed. The cinematography is beautifully shot and the musical score is touching.

Criticisms ???. Well, most films of these types tend to run long but in this case, I would have liked a bigger build up to the end for a bigger, dramatic effect.

But really, this is one of the best dramas I've seen this year......possibly in years actually!. :T

9/10 stars for a film I will not soon forget!. :T

ps.....Oh ya, this was watched on dvd by myself but I strongly suggest watching this in BD format as the score and cinematography are beautiful. As well, this dvd ALSO forced me to watch the trailers so BD is not the only format doing this horrible thing to us viewers. I feel sorry for the people that BUY these films because at the end of the day and for multiple viewings, you really want to get straight down to the film.:roll:

[Chris D]

Been trying to find this on DVD for a while. Think I started too early before it came out. I do plan on getting this from Blockbuster soon.

[Ovation]

Wait, what?! There are still Blockbuster rental stores?

[Chris D]

There's a few, that are now independent stores. We have some of them in Alaska. I'm a regular at the one in my town.

[madmac]

Wait, what?! There are still Blockbuster rental stores?

Ovation, since you are around the Montreal area, I get my dvd's and Blu rays from a Videotron rental store in Lachine. I assume there are others in and around the Montreal area as well.

[George Bellefontaine]

That is definitely an excellent film, Dan.

[Ovation]

Ovation, since you are around the Montreal area, I get my dvd's and Blu rays from a Videotron rental store in Lachine. I assume there are others in and around the Montreal area as well.

Yes. I go to the local Videotron store as well. But I'd thought Blockbuster had gone bankrupt and disappeared. Certainly all gone from Quebec and, I believe, the rest of Canada.

[Chris D]

Generally, you're right--Blockbuster's out of business. Just a few private stores still open here and there, including Alaska.

[madmac]

Yes. I go to the local Videotron store as well. But I'd thought Blockbuster had gone bankrupt and disappeared. Certainly all gone from Quebec and, I believe, the rest of Canada.

Yep.....Blockbuster is gone in the Montreal area for sure and probably in the rest of Canada too. This Videotron store is the last bastion of rental possibilities around here for me. When that's gone, it's all over for me here in Dorval. The only thing left will be to rent from Zip.ca and have them delivered to me by mail. The only problem with them is they do not have the newest releases available on Tuesday's like the video stores do. Buying is not an option for me because 99% of films are not worth seeing more than once. As mentioned in this forum on a number of occasions, the future of video watching will likely be streaming off the internet or downloading off of it.

[madmac]

That is definitely an excellent film, Dan.

I would be interested in your thoughts and review of it George??.

[Ovation]

Yep.....Blockbuster is gone in the Montreal area for sure and probably in the rest of Canada too. This Videotron store is the last bastion of rental possibilities around here for me. When that's gone, it's all over for me here in Dorval. The only thing left will be to rent from Zip.ca and have them delivered to me by mail. The only problem with them is they do not have the newest releases available on Tuesday's like the video stores do. Buying is not an option for me because 99% of films are not worth seeing more than once. As mentioned in this forum on a number of occasions, the future of video watching will likely be streaming off the internet or downloading off of it.

I have a different view, with the 1500 films on my shelves.

[madmac]

I have a different view, with the 1500 films on my shelves.

That number makes sense. I mean, out of the tens of thousands of films available out there, I would imagine that 1500 would be about 1% of the 99% of films that are not worth owning!!!. Bahahaha!!

[George Bellefontaine]

I also have a pretty large collection, probably as large as Paul's now but was over 2000 ( not counting vhs ) at one time. I have some films in my collection that I rewatch at least once a year. I've been collecting ever since VHS movies came out, though they have been replaced with either laserdisc, dvd or blu-ray. Most LDs have been replaced though I still have about 150. I still own more dvds that blu-rays. When dvd first came out I was buying everything in sight, so there was a lot of crap building up. Over the years I have either given away or sold nearly 500. So what I have in my collection now is what I consider worth owning.

Dan, re: review of The Book Thief
It really wouldn't vary that much from yours. And like you, I found the experience emotional at times.

[madmac]

Ya George....being the father of a young girl and all the moments, times together sharing things with her, I found the relationship between the adopted father and the Girl very touching. He loved her from the moment he met her and was so gentle and kind. That really warmed my heart.

I had an interesting conversation with a friend last night when I recommended this film to him. He was afraid that this was going to be another holocaust film and I told him that it was nothing of the sort. He then asked me if it had a 'Disney' feel to it. Hummmm???.......I never got that feeling about it but maybe some others did. What do you think George??. I never got a Disney feeling while I watched this movie. Did you??.

[George Bellefontaine]

Disney ? Hell no.

[madmac]

Disney ? Hell no.

Agreed George!.

[Chris D]

Just watched it. Definitely didn't feel "Disney", although I'm not sure it packed as hard a punch as it could have, given the subject matter. We've seen so many movies over the years based on Nazi Germany. Many of them have been so-so. This movie certainly doesn't reach the level of the true greats like "Schindler's List". This film was about the village working-class people of Nazi Germany, though, not the holocaust. I've also heard this movie compared to Anne Frank's story, which I also thought it was not. Although there's a small journal-like aspect to it, and a hidden Jew, it was very different in story.

I liked it, although I wasn't overwhelmed. But we chose to make this the first film that we watched with our 10 year old daughter about Nazi Germany. And in that effort, it was an excellent pick. It was a great picture to introduce our daughter to Nazism and the horrors of WWII, introducing some important themes without going all the way into the holocaust and such. She must learn our true human history, and as she gets older, we'll teach her more and more, eventually showing her "Schindler's List" and more. I'll round this one up to :4: out of :5:

[madmac]

Just watched it. Definitely didn't feel "Disney", although I'm not sure it packed as hard a punch as it could have, given the subject matter. We've seen so many movies over the years based on Nazi Germany. Many of them have been so-so. This movie certainly doesn't reach the level of the true greats like "Schindler's List". This film was about the village working-class people of Nazi Germany, though, not the holocaust. I've also heard this movie compared to Anne Frank's story, which I also thought it was not. Although there's a small journal-like aspect to it, and a hidden Jew, it was very different in story.

I liked it, although I wasn't overwhelmed. But we chose to make this the first film that we watched with our 10 year old daughter about Nazi Germany. And in that effort, it was an excellent pick. It was a great picture to introduce our daughter to Nazism and the horrors of WWII, introducing some important themes without going all the way into the holocaust and such. She must learn our true human history, and as she gets older, we'll teach her more and more, eventually showing her "Schindler's List" and more. I'll round this one up to :4: out of :5:

Excellent choice for your daughter's introduction to WWII and Nazi Germany Chris!. How did she handle the ending?.

[Chris D]

Just fine, although she didn't quite understand about death being the narrator.