Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Note: I saw an advanced screening of The Book Thief. The Book Thief is a book that has stuck with me for so many years, there is just something so powerful and raw about Zusak's novel. The Book Thief has to be one of the trickiest books to adapt because it's far from a simple story. The novel is nearly 600 pages and it's main narrator is Death himself commenting on the events of World War II. How could Brian Percival (Downton Abbey) direct such a movie without doing the novel injustice? The Book Thief is true to it's source material, even though it doesn't maintain all of the major plot events in the novel. The filmmakers rarely utilized Death's narration, so the few times they did use it, it felt a bit awkward and out of place. I didn't get quite the chills from hearing his narration like I did when I had read the book. Despite the unevenness of the narration, The Book Thief really captures the essence of Liesel's story. All of the characters were truly perfectly cast, the dialogue is well done and the film truly captures all of the emotion from Zusak's novel. Sophie Nelisse is essentially a newcomer to Hollywood and this is her first major role in a movie. I really hope Nelisse wins an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance because it's absolutely unbelieveable. Nelisse's performance is absolutely unbelievable and it's clear to me that Nelisse is an extremely talented actress. Even though Nelisse shares screentime with veterans like Watson and Rush, Nelisse truly steals the show and easily makes viewers fall in love with Liesel. Both Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson did wonders in The Book Thief, they truly translated the characters from the book into their performances in a flawless manner. Rush and Watson became Rosa and Hans as if it was natural to them, like these parts were made for them. Rush and Nelisse are a duo that demands the viewers' attention and they truly make this a poignant movie. Their performances carry the film and bring The Book Thief to the next level. If neither Rush nor Nelisse receive Academy Award nominations for their performances, I'll truly be disappointed because their performances are something brilliant. I don't want to discredit Nico Liersch (Rudy) and Ben Schnetzer (Max) because their performances were also unbelieveable. I was just completely caught off guard by Rush, Nelisse, and Watson's extremely memorable acting. I'm not an extremely emotional movie viewer by any standard, I rarely am moved by movies. The Book Thief really captured me emotionally despite the fact that I knew what would happen next because I had read the book. Despite my knowledge of the plot, the actors fooled me into thinking that maybe it would end differently, maybe my heart wouldn't be stomped on. I was wrong, by the end of The Book Thief I was driven to tears by the movie's incredibly heartbreaking conclusion. I can't remember the last time I had cried this much during a movie, my head ached from crying so much over Zusak's characters. The Book Thief may not live up to Zusak's novel, but it is one of the best movies I have seen in years. The Book Thief provides an incredible, unique perspective of World War II from a whole new angle. This is the type of movie that will truly stay with viewers long after the credits roll, absolutely unforgettable. I truly hope that The Book Thief will find an audience because it's an extremely well-done film that deserves widespread acclaim. The Book Thief is an absolute must-see and I hope it will continue to strike a chord with audiences everywhere.