'The Book Thief' movie adaptation receives middling reviews
鈥淭he Book Thief鈥� by Markus Zusack, a novel that follows a book-loving girl living in WWII-era Germany, became a publishing phenomenon following its release in 2006. The book received positive reviews and has appeared often on the New York Times bestseller list since then, currently holding the number one spot on the NYT Young Adult bestseller for Nov. 10.聽
So it鈥檚 probably no surprise that 鈥淭hief鈥� was adapted for the big screen. The movie stars actress Sophie N茅lisse as Liesel, a young orphan who goes to live with foster parents Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson). Liesel also comes to know a young Jewish man named Max when Hans and Rosa shelter him in their basement. The film is directed by Brian Percival, who also helmed several episodes of 鈥淒ownton Abbey.鈥�
The movie opens in limited release Nov. 8 and will enter wide release on Nov. 15.
What are critics saying so far? Reviews seem to be middling. The Monitor鈥檚 Peter Rainer awarded the movie a B-, saying that N茅lisse is 鈥渁 captivating young performer鈥� and that Rush and Watson 鈥済ive depth to what might otherwise have been mere star turns,鈥� but called the film itself 鈥渞espectable, safe, intelligent 鈥� and a bit dull.鈥澛�
critic Stephen Holden called N茅lisse 鈥渁ppealing but bland.鈥�
鈥淸It鈥檚] a shameless piece of Oscar-seeking Holocaust kitsch,鈥� Holden wrote of the film.
Meanwhile, critic Robert Abele was even less enamored, saying he found it odd that the movie 鈥渇eatures little discussion of the emotional pull of reading, storytelling or writing鈥� and that the movie 鈥渟kirts explicitly addressing the fate of that generation's Jews.鈥�
鈥淲hat director Brian Percival and screenwriter serve up is just another tasteful, staid Hollywoodization of terribleness, in which a catastrophic time acts as a convenient backdrop for a wishful narrative rather than the springboard for an honest one,鈥� Abele wrote.聽
writer Adam Markovitz, like Rainer, gave the film a B-, calling it 鈥渟chmaltzy.鈥澛�
鈥淎ny plot point that wouldn't pair with a swell of violins has been neatly excised,鈥� Markovitz writes, though he calls Rush and Watson鈥檚 performances 鈥渟mart [and] understated.鈥�
