Movie Review: The Book Thief (2013)
Written by Anthony Sargon
The second world war has been explored and presented on film countless times. I guess that Nazis still make great villains, but it's also a very crucial time in world history that warrants further exploration. Based on Markus Zusak's novel of the same name, "The Book Thief" is a terrifically acted film that tells a great story, but its many flaws keep it from being truly memorable.
When young Liesel is taken in by Hans and Rosa Hubermann after her mother becomes unable to care for her, the only solace she finds is in stealing books and learning how to read. The family's safety is then put at risk when a young Jewish refugee finds his way to their front door in need of a place to hide. The film explores a different side of World War II and focuses on people who were swept up in something they wanted nothing to do with.
The film's performances are great across the board. Newcomer Sophie Nelisse is extremely impressive as Liesel, and that's very fortunate given that she's the film's heart. I don't think Geoffrey Rush has ever been bad in anything he's done, and he's brilliant in "The Book Theif." He and Emily Watson bring so much gravitas to the proceedings, and they elevate the film just by being in it. I also want to point out Ben Schnetzer and young Nico Liersch, who are great as Max and little Rudy, respectively.
What keeps "The Book Thief" from being a truly resonating drama is the fact that, for one, it's a little cheesy. I don't necessarily want to get into spoilers, but a couple of scenes during the film's last five minutes had me rolling my eyes, which isn't supposed to happen. Some of the accents are a little funny too, and combined with occasionally spotty dialogue, you have something that can sound like bad video-game voiceover work.
Director Brian Percival delivers a beautiful looking film and, like I mentioned, gets some really strong performances out of his cast, but you do get the sense that he's trying a little too hard to make the audience cry. I thought the film could have also benefited from tighter editing, as it's about 15 minutes too long.
The Verdict:
While "The Book Thief" has all the right ingredients to be a cinematic classic, it's ultimately just OK. It gets more right than it does wrong, and it certainly boasts some incredible performances, but the excessive melodrama and cheese keep it from greatness.
Numerical Score: 6.5/10
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