"The Book Thief" is certainly a rare kind of film for its day. It gleams like the sun, glistens like rays on the surface of water - for here is a dark tale that lights up the very soul.

I've read several 'professional' reviews for this work and it seems too easy for some Critics to sit in their comfortable cinema seats, or arm chairs in the safety of their homes, and write, what often amount to trite comments. They can read meaning (often their own) into works of crude ugliness, yet feel they have to hide from life affirming warmth.

From the very opening scenes this film draws you in. Some did not like the fact that death (as voice over) begins to tell the story, but this also served to make it all the more compelling. Screen play adapter: Michael Petroni who's been associated with such diverse works as "The Rite" and "Narnia" is equally at home writing for the BIG screen as well as TV. As is talented Director: Brian Percival (Downton Abbey & North and South) Both seem to have given their all, and with no less than 6 various producers, there seemed to be plenty of money to assure superb production values ~ guaranteeing a great look and feel. Director of Photography: German born Florian Ballhaus, captures the magnificence of the carefully selected locations, lifting astounding images from the pages of the book onto the screen.

The cast all work hard to bring to life the characters from Markus Zusak's novel. Child actors can sometimes be hit or miss but award winning Sophie Nelisse (Liesel) is reminiscent of the great Patricia Gozzi from the 60s (Sundays and Cybele '62 & Rapture '65) She convinces over a full range of emotions. Young Nico Liersch scores equally as Rudy.

Some cynical critics seem to have difficulty in understanding the intellect of children forced to grow up in terrible circumstances and may have been unnecessarily harsh. Rush is reliable as always, managing to convey the emotions of a man living with fear, yet playing it down for the sake of his young adopted charge.

John Williams' multi-layered music score brings to mind the style of strong scores that helped breath life into great classics from the past.

Films of this quality have become rare in these days of often foolish, Hollywood comic book action blockbusters, but it's hoped this, along with 'The Railway Man' might see us treated to more intelligent modern cinema. If I'd change anything, perhaps it could be the anticlimactic style of the closing scenes ~ looked as if more may have been added as afterthought, through one too many fade outs (a very minor point)

But more importantly, perhaps, some cynical critics may also be 'reminded of their humanity'.

For those of us who remember the classic cinema MGM did a great anti- Nazi film in 1940, The Mortal Storm. One of the memorable scenes from the film was the book burning scene with young Dan Dailey intoning all the names of the authors the Third Reich was now banning. Nazi book burning is the theme for The Book Thief, that and one young girl's thirst for all this knowledge that the state says she must not have.

Young Sophie Nelisse goes to live with foster parents Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson after her birth mother gives her away. It is mentioned that the birth parents were Communists and that their fate was not good once the Third Reich got established.

At the book burning scene here which seems to have been modeled on the one from The Mortal Storm attendance in the town was required for the ceremony and as is true in every culture with the young, you say something is forbidden you know kids will want to try it. So Sophie's parents feel the same way and in the basement they have an illegal stash of forbidden authors. The one she first zeroes in on is H.G. Wells's The Invisible Man. No doubt why he's forbidden, Wells being the British Fabian Socialist he was.

Sophie's parents also take in a young Jewish man who lives in their basement among the books. He's played by Ben Schnetzer and he and Nelisse form a bond with their thirst for knowledge, especially that which the state says they must not have.

Binding this film is Roger Allam's narration as the character of Death whom he says all will eventually meet up with him. As you can gather several people do have an encounter.

There are a couple of juvenile performances that are worthy of note. Nico Liersch is a kid next door who befriends Sophie and he's not quite buying into all the propaganda he's being fed. After seeing newsreels of the 1936 Olympics and seeing Jesse Owens, Liersch paints himself black and pretends to be the fastest man on earth.

That brings him to the attention of Levin Liam who is the prototype of the Hitler Youth. It's funny how bullies seem to have a natural affinity for certain groups. Nazis certainly had their share of them, people whose need to bully others is now given an ideological base. I wish we'd have explored his character a bit more.

The Book Thief is about ordinary people trying to live as best they can under adverse conditions, a state that stifles knowledge and the deprivations of war. The Book Thief shows as few other films I've seen that the thirst for a little knowledge will never be quenched.

It's 1938 Germany. Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse)'s little brother dies. She is left to foster parents Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa Hubermann (Emily Watson). Rosa is not happy because she was promised two kids with the expected allowance. Rosa is not nice especially about Liesel's communist mother. Hans is much nicer calling Liesel "Her Majesty". Liesel befriends neighbor boy Rudy Steiner. She is bullied for being illiterate but she knows how to fight. Hans teaches her to read. After a Nazi book burning rally, Liesel saves one of the books. Max Vandenburg (Ben Schnetzer) is a Jew and on the run. His father gave up his life in the Great War to save Hans, and Hans returns the favor by hiding him in the basement.

The intention is good. The movie is professionally made with some great actors. The girl Sophie Nélisse is a good little actress. However there is a lack of tension for the first half of the movie. The narration by Death gives a surreal literary feel to the movie. Director Brian Percival needs to find ways to inject danger into the movie as much as possible. I'm not suggesting that Nazi jack boots should be stomping around all the time or bombs should be falling day and night. Rudy could sneak in and run around. Or the bully kid could be stalking little Liesel. The movie needs danger to raise the tension and do it much earlier.