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The Book Thief ~ Beautiful

Yesterday, the roads were finally clear enough to get to the movie theatre. I decided to watch 'The Book Thief'. Boy was I glad I made that choice! You might recall that I blogged about 'The Book Theif' several months ago. At that time I hadn't read the book but the trailer was enough to get my curiosity running and I have read it now! It's good to know your source material wouldn't you say? Let's get started!

This movie is absolutely gorgeous. The visuals are simply stunning! Indoors or outdoors, it doesn't matter. All the little details and World War II era gadgets pull you right back in time. What I'm trying to say is that the sets, costumes, and cinematography are absolutely perfect! Not only are they perfect, but they are also exactly how I pictured them from the book. So they are accurate to the story as well! Very, very good!

The acting is also masterfully done. Geoffrey Rush is such a class act, yet somehow I am still surprised by his skills! He doesn't stand alone though! Everyone else, the children included, acted wonderfully as well. Sophie Nélisse, who played Liesel, managed to act all the ages depicted in the book. Liesel starts out about 12 and you watch her age all the way until she is about 17 or 18. The actress is 13 years old and yet somehow she managed to age flawlessly on screen. I was stunned.

As for the story itself, it was great. I would say that is was a respectful abridgement of the book. No, not everything is there and yes, they did change a few things. What was removed and changed was clearly for time. I think that they managed to maintain the spirit of the book. To my surprise and joy, they had the narrator. I feared that they would remove that aspect but they didn't! 'The Book Thief' is a complex story with many facets. The deepest or most troubling story lines were removed along with my favorite scene. That being said, it's still one of the most accurate book to movie adaptations I have ever seen!

I liked this movie. It ambles along at it's own comfortable pace, just like it should. It weaves the story in front of your eyes and makes you think. It is art. If that sounds like something you would like, watch it!


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Comments

  1. CherieDecember 16, 2013 at 3:38 PM

    "...a respectful abridgement of the book." I agree.

    A very fair review, yet again.

    This movie so took me into its time and place, so involved me in the perfectly acted characters' lives and personalities, that when I left the theater I was disoriented. Well done all the way around, and another great review from you. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. CassieFebruary 14, 2014 at 9:02 AM

    Yes, so true! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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