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The Book Thief

2013

Brian Percival

Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Nico Liersch ...

6.6

26,325

Drama The 550-page, World War II-era novel, narrated by Death, tells the story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken at age 9 to live with a foster family in a German working-class neighborhood. Liesel arrives having just stolen her first book, "The Gravediggers Handbook" -- it will be the beginning of a love affair with books.

	Author	Review
United States	Joshua Rothkopf Time Out	"Where the book had a kernel of intellectual irony (...) this drama goes shamelessly for the heart. (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
United States	Stephen Farber The Hollywood Reporter	"There is much to admire in Percival's film version, but you may come away more impressed by the intentions than by the achievements."	NEU
United States	Peter Travers Rolling Stone	"The simplicity of Michael Petroni’s script seems a drawback at first. But skilled director Brian Percival (...) slowly, effectively tightens the vise as evil intrudes into the life of this child. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Dennis Harvey Variety	"Markus Zusak's international bestseller 'The Book Thief' has been brought to the screen with quiet effectiveness and scrupulous taste by director Brian Percival and writer Michael Petroni."	POS
United States	Stephen Holden The New York Times	"'The Book Thief' is a shameless piece of Oscar-seeking Holocaust kitsch."	NEG
United States	Claudia Puig USA Today	"Anchoring the story is 9-year-old Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse), whose first scenes are riveting. (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune	"It relays an uplifting story that, ill-advisedly, is not so much Holocaust-era as Holocaust-adjacent, determined to steer clear of too much discomfort. (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"	NEU

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