If there’s one thing I’ve learned after watching this movie, it is the fact that I can never ever watched anything Nazi-related without crying buckets of tears. I could not stop sobbing after watching this movie. Luckily, I was putting on a very good waterproof make-up.

Anyway, this movie is based on an international best-selling book by the same name, The Book Thief. It’s about a girl named Liesel, who was put up with a foster family during World War 2 Germany, after her parents were taken away to a concentration camp. She learned to read and write and found her love for books. During her time there as well, her foster family brought in a Jewish man named Max, hiding him in the basement. She was sworn not to tell anyone, including her very first friend and possible first love, Rudy. When Max fell ill, Liesel continued to read for him and began to steal books from her foster mother’s former customer, Ilsa. Rudy, once found out about it, affectionately called her “the book thief”.

As any Nazi-related movie, you cannot expect something happy and light-hearted coming from this movie. Yes, there were moments that made you smile like Rudy wanting to kiss Liesel but there were a lot more sad and heartbreaking scenes like in any war movies, not just during the Nazi times. But there was a happy ending or at least somewhat there but I shall not spoil it for you. It is true that behind every sadness, there always lies hope. And this movie certainly has it by the dozen.

Notable performances coming from young actress, Sophie Nelisse, who acted as the main character, Liesel, and young actor, Nico Liersch, who played the role of Rudy. Also a must-mention, Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson, who acted as Liesel’s foster parents. Their German accents were impeccable and acting, superb.

I do recommend this as a must-watch but please do not bring your kids to this movie. It’s not because it has scenes not appropriate for kids, no. It has a very heavy plot even though the main character is a very young girl. I was sitting next to a young kid who asked her dad plenty of questions throughout the entire movie. It is equal parts distracting and annoying. The history of Nazi is just too heavy for any kid to digest at such a young age. If you want to bring them along, be prepared for many questions during and after the movie.

The trailer…