Films for Thoughts on Thursday: The Book Thief

This is a weekly meme that I am hosting here at Reviews from a Bookworm. To take part all you have to do is share a movie review once a week, link back to Reviews from a Bookworm and add your link to the linky tool.


This weeks movie review will be for:


The Book Thief

Confession: I didn't reread the book before watching the movie. This is important because you need to realise that this is a review of the film, not a review looking at the film as an adaptation. I have a terrible memory, so whilst I remember the fact that I absolutely loved the book, I actually don't remember much of the book itself. Without rereading the book before seeing the movie, I won't remember all the little details or the things that change. I did this on purpose, I am fed up of picking apart movies just because they changed something or left something out. This was a film that I just wanted to be able to enjoy it for what it was, I didn't want to pick it apart. I am so beyond happy that I didn't reread before seeing the film, I worry it may have spoiled it a little. I just watched one of the most stunning, beautiful, heart-breaking, uplifting and moving films that I have ever seen. I don't even care if they made a lot of changes or didn't, it was a brilliant movie and I loved it.

'One small fact. You are going to die. Despite every effort, no one lives forever. Sorry to be such a spoiler. My advise is, when the time comes, don't panic. It doesn't seem to help.'

If you're not familiar with The Book Thief, either the film or the book, then I will tell you a little about it. The story, as well as the film, is narrated by Death, who has become quite fascinated by a young girl named Liesel Meminger. As she travels on a train with her mother and brother in 1938, her brother dies and has to be buried at the side of the tracks. It is here that Liesel takes her first book, a gravedigger's manual that falls from someone's pocket. Liesel is being sent to live with the Hubermann family as her mother flees from Germany and the Nazi regime. The story and Death follow Liesel as she comes to know her new parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann and as she befriends Rudy Steiner, a local boy who is rather taken with Liesel. It follows Liesel through huge moments of her life and through a massive part of history, the Nazi regime and WWII.

The casting is perfection, I don't have even one complaint. I didn't have one problem with anyone, I thought they played the roles brilliantly. I thought that Sophie Nélisse was perfect as Liesel Meminger, she's a fantastic young actress and I loved her as Liesel. Geoffrey Rush was Hans Hubermann, he was as sweet as I remember and so full of humour, I could not see anyone else in that role now. Emily Watson was genius as Rosa Hubermann, the stern mother figure who you can tell has that softer side hidden underneath all that scowling. Then two other people who I adored in this film would be Ben Schnetzer as Max and Nico Liersch as Rudy Steiner.

People, you don't even understand, how are you supposed to coherently explain all the feelings that you will get from this film. I can't even express all the heartbreak I feel right now, or the happiness and the hope and just everything. This movie, oh god, this movie! It's just too much. I had been nervous to see this film because I was really worried it wouldn't be good, but it's amazing. People who read the book right before seeing it will have to tell me if it's a good adaptation, I already know they left a few key things out. But from the perspective of someone just watching it as a film, not an adaptation, there is not one thing wrong with it.

'In my job, I'm always seeing humans at their best, and their worst. I see their ugliness, and their beauty. And I wonder how the same thing can be both.'

I took six pages worth of notes whilst watching this movie, and they are pretty much just nonsensical scribblings of a highly emotional human being. The characters just worm their way into your heart right from the very beginning, I could barely contain all my love for them. I was kind of weepy from the beginning because I know that this movie is going to make me feel far too many emotions in just two hours. I was right. Liesel is this headstrong girl, who starts out scared, alone and sad and it's just so heart-warming to watch her get to know and love the Hubermanns, Rudy and Max. The Hubermanns.... there are no words to describe these two. I want them to adopt me so I can live with them and have Hans play the accordion to me. Rudy is just as sweet as I remember, and his friendship with Liesel is just so sweet. My heart melted a little every time that Rudy asked Liesel for a kiss. Max, Max, Max, Max, Max! I think Max might have stolen my heart in this film, I don't remember him doing it to that extent when I read the book. I just can't express my love for Max, I want to pull that man from my TV and marry him.

That's it, I give up. I can't do it. I don't have the words to describe this movie to you. Just go watch it, please! I actually beg you all to go watch this movie, and I don't even request that you read the book first. I don't want you sitting there judging the movie and picking apart every little scene they change or scene they omit. This movie just needs to be watched and appreciated for what it is: beautiful!

10/10 Butterflies

Seriously, how am I supposed to tell you about this movie and how much I loved it. It was beautiful, heart-breaking, uplifting, amazing, stunning and perfect in every way. It made me laugh out loud, it made my heart almost beat out of my chest when I was scared about what was going to happen and it made me sob my little heart out. I had not one issue with this film, I thought the cast was perfect and there wasn't one thing I would change about it. The cinematography is brilliant, I really loved the opening scene where we start above the clouds and slowly make our way down through the clouds, across the snowy landscape and to Liesel on the train. I have been having the worst week and, even though this movie made me absolutely sob, watching this movie cheered me up so much.

I have been meaning to take part in both of the following memes for a while now, so its nice to finally be able to get to them. I will be taking part in Reading is Fun Again's Thoughtful Thursday and Okay, Let's Read's  Thursday Thoughts, picking between them or doing both topics each week.

The Power of Social Media

Have you ever connected with an author through social media? Do you think it's important to have things like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as a blogger, reviewer or author? Why or why not? How do you think social media has progressed and change the bookish world in recent years? And, now for a fun question: Are there any authors who's Twitter feed you just can't get enough of?

I find social media is probably the easiest way to connect to authors, and Twitter is probably the method I use the most often. I don't know if it's important to have a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for your blog. I actually have all three, but I only really use Twitter. I am new to Instagram and still a little lost when it comes to that one. I also struggle with my blog's Facebook, as I don't really know what to post on there. I just find Twitter so much easier to use, even with the restriction to 140 characters. I think they are extremely useful if you now how to use them properly, I just suck at social media. I love Colleen Hoover's social media postings because that woman is just hilarious, her posts are always making me laugh out loud.

Book Swag

Does book swag inspire you to give the book a try?

I don't know, probably not. I think I am more likely to be more excited to get book swag for a book I have loved and read. I guess it depends on the swag though. I think it makes me more likely to go check the book up and see if it's something that interests me, not sure if it inspires me to give it a try though.

 

I have read and loved both of Abigail's books, Dangerous Girls & Dangerous Boys. To celebrate the release of Dangerous Boys, I am giving  2 winners the chance to win paperback copies of both Dangerous Boys and Dangerous Girls. It's open internationally, as long as Book Depository ships to you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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