The Book Thief - review

The film sees a young girl Liesel, who finds solace during the war by stealing books and sharing them with others. Under the stairs in her home, a Jewish refugee is being sheltered by her adoptive parents.

One of the most important things about this film is that we get to see the horrors of the war from the child’s point of view. Young Sophie Nélisse playing the part of Liesel manages to give a performance of incredible emotional depth that it belies her tender years.

She is ably supported by a truly excellent supporting cast. Geoffrey Rush’s loving paternal Hans is fantastic and there is a real warmth to their relationship. Britsh TV stalwart Emily Watson playing her adoptive mother Rosa starts off as hard nosed and a little unlikeable but softens throughout the process. Everyone manages to draw you into the story and makes it all the more compelling when the bombs strike.

You could find fault, some of the accents are not perfect but this is a film where you’d have to have a heart of stone if you did so.

This is a thoroughly compelling and delightful film. One that will make you re-discover the faith in humanity and put simply a joy to watch. Thoroughly recommended.

The Book Thief can be seen at Cineworld Northampton.