The Book Thief

director: Brian Percival
year: 2013
with: Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Barbara Auer, etc.

plot: Based on the international bestselling book, The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel, an extraordinary and courageous young girl sent to live with a foster family in World War II Germany. She learns to read with encouragement from her new family and Max, a Jewish refugee who they are hiding under the stairs. For Liesel and Max, the power of words and imagination become the only escape from the tumultuous events happening around them. The Book Thief is a life-affirming story of survival and of the resilience of the human spirit.

what I liked: Normally I have problems with kids as main characters on screen or stage but Sophie Nelisse did a brilliant job and I enjoyed her quiet and never affected acting.
Not too long, not too sentimental and not too violent.

what I didn't like: The actors all speaking English, obviously, with those awful fake German accents, horrible. Either do the film in English or in German, that mix might be the best solution for the masses but is a shame for the rest.

verdict: A surprisingly good film that doesn´t pull on the viewer´s heartstrings too much. Liesel´s perspective on the historical events might not be the most critical and reflected (some critics accused the film of trivialising the Nazi regime) but she is a child after all.
But one question remains for me: how do you get a 2013 childrens choir to wear Hitler Youth uniforms and sing propaganda songs - that must be a very weird experience for everyone involved!

And after seeing Görlitz again on screen (after The Grand Budapest Hotel) I really want to travel there now.