The Book Thief - so hard to make a great movie from a great book. A semi-whiff on this one.

[NRaleighLiberal]

My wife and I recently listened to the Audible reading of The Book Thief (really spectacularly read, and a great book). With trepidation, we finally watched the movie.

Geoffrey Rush and the young actress were really well cast and stole the movie...the complexities of the book never really made it to the movie, and it was hollywood-sanitized from the true tragedies/horrors so well depicted in the book.

Nice try...but nope. (not for us, anyway).

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. Yeah, It -just- missed for me, too. It was -almosts- there but, never quite reached it's full

potential. I hate it when that happens as bad as when a movie fails miserably. This one was -so- close. argh.

[mackerel]

2. I agree overall but still so much better than most American films.

I do think they picked the right Liesl

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Well, my husband and I recently watched this movie.

We had not read the book, and I think that makes a huge difference.

We loved the movie, and did not feel as though it had been sanitized. I felt the horror of the persecution of the Jews very deeply.

I agree about the cast! They were extraordinary.

And the cinematography was luminous.

It was a very positive experience for us...

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. I am glad you liked it! Now find yourself the book - in fact, there is a wonderful

Audible audiobook that is spectacularly read. If/once you hear that, you will see why I did the OP that I did.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. I am sure you're right! I may just do that...