| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Roger Allam | ... | Narrator / Death (voice) | |
| Sophie Nélisse | ... | Liesel Meminger | |
| Heike Makatsch | ... | Liesel's Mother | |
|
|
Julian Lehmann | ... | Liesel's Brother |
|
|
Gotthard Lange | ... | Grave Digger |
| Rainer Reiners | ... | Priest | |
| Kirsten Block | ... | Frau Heinrich | |
| Geoffrey Rush | ... | Hans Hubermann | |
| Emily Watson | ... | Rosa Hubermann | |
|
|
Nico Liersch | ... | Rudy Steiner |
| Ludger Bökelmann | ... | Football Urchin | |
|
|
Paul Schaefer | ... | Football Urchin |
|
|
Nozomi Linus Kaisar | ... | Fat Faced Goalie |
| Oliver Stokowski | ... | Alex Steiner | |
|
|
Robert Beyer | ... | Jewish Accountant |
In 1938, the young girl Liesel Meminger is traveling by train with her mother and her younger brother when he dies. Her mother buries the boy in a cemetery by the tracks and Liesel picks up a book, "The Gravediggers Handbook", which was left on the grave of her brother and brings it with her. Liesel is delivered to a foster family in a small town and later she learns that her mother left her because she is a communist. Her stepmother, Rosa Hubermann, is a rude but caring woman and her stepfather, Hans Hubermann, is a simple kind-hearted man. Liesel befriends her next door neighbor, the boy Rudy Steiner, and they go together to the school. When Hans discovers that Liesel cannot read, he teaches her using her book and Liesel becomes an obsessed reader. During a Nazi speech where the locals are forced to burn books in a bonfire, Liesel recovers one book for her and the Mayor's wife Ilsa Hermann witnesses her action. Meanwhile Hans hides the Jewish Max Vandenburg, who is the son of a ... Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Orange Wednesday's are a weekly escape from the monotony of the working world (New Teacher - Little money - Stressed - Used to do absolutely nothing at Uni). Therefore over the last couple of years, as you can imagine, the cinema has been overused and a plethora of films have been watched, reviewed and loved. Being a sap myself and an ability to completely immerse myself within a movie; the usual comment coming out of the cinema is: "That was the best film I've ever seen!"...
Obviously that is never actually true, and probably isn't for this film, however I again came out the cinema saying the same thing. Within the first two months of this year: Wolf of Wall Street, 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle and Dallas Buyers Club...Now The Book Thief!
Now I had no idea what the film was about before stepping in the cinema, except a girl who steals books in the war. Even half way through I thought this film was a heart warming film about the war through a child's eyes. I was WRONG! If you know nothing about the story, the film is beautifully written, acted, portrayed (Life of Pi creators, done it again) and has bags of shocks, emotion and heartache. The other lad who viewed the film with me(In the same boat work wise) I have never seen cry. That man was broken!
The young actress, is going to be a superstar. Geoffrey Rush, although portrayed a "Disney Dad" as some reviewers suggested; was inspirational and perfectly cast, when compared to the book, which I have now read.
Another reviewer trashed the use of "bits of German" - You sir, are a fool. This is not Hollywood tact, the book does exactly the same thing and therefore the film took that same role.
Another reviewer gave the film "1 star" (Mainly due to the film not being realistic in 3 parts, which all played no real role in the film and therefore a poor point to make) It's a story based on some real life events, not a true story.
Rant over though, this film truly moved me (23 year old male) I know, I hid it well in the cinema! The film is just a Must see and although I probably wouldn't rate it 10 star (I never rate that highly) I felt I needed to raise the profile, due to people who have too much time on their hands to pick holes in minor parts of films and have to have their films more like a documentary, then a masterpiece for all warps of life and ages.
I will be using this in school as soon as it is out and will be a fantastic tool for developing writing!
Cracking film!