THE BOOK THIEF (1 Viewer)

[Ernest]

Based on the best selling novel of the same name by Markus Zusak director Brian Percival's film starts Sophie Nelisse as a young girl adjusting to living with adopted parents in WW II Germany. Sophie learns to read living with her adopted parents then begins stealing or borrowing without asking books to read to them and others. As always any story about life in Germany from 1937 until then end of the war in 1945 has much more to it than reading books to other people. Sophie is magnificent in her role as well as Geoffrey Rush as her adopted father.

The video is excellent with lots of details and depth colors are very bright with a natural look to them. The audio is also very active especially when the allies are bombing Germany.

This is a very very good movie especially if you enjoy stories about true characters and how they lived in WW II.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I watched this on a DVD screener. Would have loved to have seen it on Blu.

Really enjoyed the film, particularly for the performance of Geoffrey Rush. He
is just one of my favorite actors.

I totally agree that this is a very good movie well worth a rental at the very least.

 

[Matt Hough]

I'm on the review list for this film, but the review copy has not yet arrived.

 

[Joe Bernardi]

The book was the best I've read in the past couple of years. I feared that the movie would disappoint me, but it didn't.

The movie was very good.

 

[haineshisway]

This just displaced Philomena as my favorite film of 2013. Many critics were vile to this film - none more so than the reprehensible and inane Stephen Holden for the New York Times - he should stick to reviewing cabaret. I expected nothing, and what I got was a great movie, one that will stand the test of time. The reviewers get confused, you see - the film doesn't conform to screenwriting 101, it doesn't have manic energy and performances best left to acting classes, it has a score that actually functions the way movie scores are supposed to - you know, getting under the skin of the characters and the drama rather than being a droning nothing for the entirety of a film - has direction that isn't about showing off, and has a leading performance from thirteen-year-old Sophie Nelisse that should have been nominated for an Oscar, as should have Mr. Rush. But no, the idiots in the Academy would actually have had to watch the film, which they clearly did not - it received exactly ONE nomination, which it should have won but didn't - Mr. Williams's score. The Academy is bankrupt, the critics, for the most part, are bankrupt AND inept, and this is a seriously wonderful movie about good people doing good things in difficult times. Several critics took potshots because it somehow didn't conform to what they thought a movie that takes place during Nazi Germany should be like. Well, critics, that's not what the movie is about, that's the backdrop of the film, and if you're not smart enough to know that then get a different job. If this sounds like a rant it most assuredly is - as I said, this one will stand the test of time when all the trendy crap will seem dated and useless ten years from now. The presentation is stellar straight down the line. The transfer is fantastic as is the sound.

 

[Matt Hough]

Glad to read your thoughts, Bruce. I was slated to review the Blu-ray, but I guess the PR firm changed its mind about sending it out to everyone signed up for it.

 

[haineshisway]

Glad to read your thoughts, Bruce. I was slated to review the Blu-ray, but I guess the PR firm changed its mind about sending it out to everyone signed up for it.

I wonder why? They didn't send the DGA a screener either. Maybe they'd like to keep it a big secret - certainly they did themselves no favors at Oscar time - perhaps there was a different Fox 2000 release they were pushing more?

 

[moovtune]

I had watched a friend's screener copy with him and was eager to pick up the Blu when it came out last week. I watched it again this weekend and still think it was a wonderful film, sorely neglected by the academy this year in favor of the "big" pictures. I'd rather watch this one again than watch "Gravity" again.