Country: USA / Germany
Movie Review: Based on the bestseller novel by Australian author Markus Zusak, “The Book Thief” didn’t seem to have been made with the right choices regarding its cinematic adaptation. Not even the musical score of multi-awarded John Williams, or the presence of Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson could save a story already compromised since its first moments, with its excessive sweetness instead of thrill, and lingering too much time in a sort of passivity, preventing me from establishing any connection with its characters. Set in a Germany under the Nazi regime, the film follows the fate of Liesel (Sophie Nélisse) who is on her way to meet her new foster parents, the kind and attentive Hans (Rush) and the insensible Rosa (Watson). This occurrence arises after the death of her little brother and consequent ‘abandonment’ of her mother. Liesel gains a special taste for books and gets along with two faithful friends: the schoolmate Rudi, and a Jewish fugitive called Max. The film drags in the first half to the point of making me sleepy, thanks to its familiar tones and impaired sequences. Sadly, “The Book Thief” seemed contrived in almost every happening and was unfruitful during its few moments of tension. I had no other choice than to sit back and patiently wait for its ending. The sharp cinematography by Florian Ballhaus was the prominent point of a thoughtless film that failed flatly to convince.
