I spent all minutes of the book thief wondering who exactly its target audience is supposed to be. Based on the beloved international bestselling book, the book thief tells the. Meet the cast and learn more about the stars of the book thief with exclusive news, pictures, videos and more at. The book was first published in 2005 and remained on the new york times best seller. The book thief cast and crew cast photos and info fandango. The book thief brian percival delivers a quietly effective and engaging adaptation of markus zusaks wwiiset novel. Then theres the problem of englishspeaking actors doing german accents, the bane of movies about the world wars since time immemorial. It is a welldesigned, good looking film with locations and costumes that place its audience squarely in the middle of world war iiera europe.
Drama based on markus zusaks novel, starring sophie nelisse, geoffrey rush and emily watson. The book thief is the new drama film based on the very popular book of the same name written by markus zusak. The book thief 20 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and. At the time a chicago police officer, farina appears as a henchman.
She began her career at the age of seven in commercials, then made her movie debut at age 10 in the 2012 frenchcanadian film monsieur lazhar. From here the movie drags on and liesel tries to adapt to her new life and the attentions of her neighbor rudy. The story was good and it was really beautifully made but the entire vibe of the movie was odd because the actors spoke english. This is truly a movie that is not just for young people. Death is present from start to finish in the movie in which the acting performances by sophie nelisse,geoffrey rush and emily watson were remarkable. Geoffrey rush and emily watson, of course, are their usual extraordinary selves as liesels adoptive parents. Cast edit geoffrey rush as hans hubermann, liesels kindhearted foster father. Now i had no idea what the film was about before stepping in the cinema, except a. It would have to be the young cole sprouse because he is around 20 now.
Interview with the book thief actors and director youtube. Liesel meminger cannot read when she arrives at her new home, but finds herself drawn to. While subjected to the horrors of wwii germany, young liesel finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others. It is a warm hearted,emotional film with fantastic acting by all the cast,likeable characters and a great storyline. Based on the beloved international bestselling book, the book thief tells the story of an extraordinary, spirited young girl sent to live with a foster. Emily watson as rosa hubermann, liesels badtempered foster mother. As for the volience in the movie is was sometimes intense and parents with younger children should be cautious. Sophie nelisse was born in windsor, ontario, but moved to montreal with her family when she was just age four. The book thief, world war ii tale with geoffrey rush. The book thief was released in 20 on friday, november 8, 20 in nationwide movie theaters. There were 10 other movies released on the same date, including thor. Film the book thief is a touching, cogent film about a young girl dodging the travails of world war two while at the same time discovering the magic of the. The criterion collections bluray and dvd edition of thief is a sort of hybrid between the theatrical version and the directors cut.
Photos of the the thief and the cobbler movie voice actors. Under the stairs in her home, a jewish refuge is being sheltered by her adoptive parents. While some observers might say that line was crossed long ago, others may find that conclusive proof arrives in brian percivals the book thief, based on an international bestseller that the new york times jibed as harry potter and the holocaust. If you go to a bookstore looking for markus zusaks novel, the movies. The book thief, like the book on which its based, is narrated by death roger allam, who explains that he rarely cares about the stories of the living, with the exception of young liesel meminger sophie nelisse.
The book thief mixes british actors using german accents, a few german actors, and the occasional german word, creating a playfully successful illusion of germanness. The book is on my christmas wish list this year and im pretty excited about it. Check out the book thief discussion guide appropriate for the book or movie, but tailored to the movie read my posts. The book thief 20 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The thief and the cobbler 1995 movie behind the voice.
Based on the bestseller by markus zusak, this film looks like a creepy new version of. The book thief is definitely one of the best films that i have seen this year. It is a delight to watch such wonderful young actors at work. We learn that liesels obsession with books is clouded by the fact that she cannot read. Liesels goodnatured friend rudy is also expertly and realistically portrayed by young nico liersch. Director brian percival s adaptation of the international bestseller the book thief is the kind of earnest, handsomely produced, wellmeaning, tearjerking historical drama that brings to mind the lament voiced by the character of clarence in quentin tarantinos script for true romance that there are too many unwatchable. In 1938, young orphan liesel sophie nelisse arrives at the home of her new foster parents, hans geoffrey rush and rosa emily watson.
But the movie about a girl adopted by a german couple. Amber gochoel interviews actors sophie nelisse and geoffrey rush and director brian percival about their new movie the book thief which will be in theaters november 15th, 20. Sophie nelisse as liesel meminger, the titular book thief. Nico liersch as rudy steiner, liesels best friend and love interest. The movie was good, but certainly didnt do the book justice. Everything you need to know about the book thief movie 20. After screening the complete version of the book thief for a public audience for the first time the night before at the chicago international film festival as part of its entrance into this years oscar derby, the three sat down to talk about the film, the importance of filming a movie of this type in germany and the challenges of translating the story from the page to the. Conversely, john santucci, who plays the role of corrupt cop urizzi, was a recently paroled thief and acted as a technical adviser on thief. Its based on a bestselling youngadult novel set in nazi germany, but it has a cheesy. Positive i just watched the book thief and it was so touching. The actors play their characters like storybook figures imagined by a smart, curious child. Its the story of life in hitlers germany, as seen through the eyes of a pretty and selfassured blonde tween named liesel sophie nelisse.
The book thief is a nice enough movie that will warm your heart and maybe even bring some tears, but in the end, it just left me wanting something more. Has the use of nazis in movies reached the point of being pornographic. Nico liersch and sophie nelisse in the book thief 20 geoffrey rush at an event. If you have read the book and youre about to watch the movie, you may find percivals adaptation to be too simplified compared to. Moviegoers who appreciate films for quality acting, immersive period settings, as well as a healthy dose of humor within a heartbreaking drama, will likely find the book thief delivers. It is logically factbased, with examples of both positive messages as well as the nature of the violence that occurs in the film. I cant imagine that the creators of the book thief were aware of. The book thief has its moments of brilliance, thanks in large part to an adept cast. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the book thief near you. The early scene from the directors cut with willie dixon has been added back in, but the rest of the film is the theatrical version, with the slow motion shots untouched. The book thief study guide contains a biography of markus zusak, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. I really enjoyed the book thief which i found compelling throughout.
The book thief movie opened in some markets november 15, will be in others november 22, and everywhere november 27. A truly unforgettable epic, testifying to both the power of hope and the resiliency of the human spirit, the pianst is a miraculous tale of survival masterfully brought to life by visionary filmmaker, roman polanski, in his most personal movie ever. Life of pi had a master filmmaker, ang lee, telling a bigscreen adventure story, while the book thief has a journeyman director, brian percival best known for his work on downton abbey and an. The book thief is an earnest melodrama with a solid cast that deals with powerful themes of life, death, and connection. Markus zusak based on the novel by, michael petroni screenplay by. After a wellreceived screening of 20th century foxs the book thief. He was a troublemaker in that show and that is what rudy is in the book thief. Geoffrey rush, sophie nelisse and director brian percival discuss the differences between the novel and the movie. I know it was an american made movie but i personally think all movies that take place in nazigermany should be in german and. Thief marks the first film appearance of actors dennis farina, william petersen, james belushi and robert prosky. And she is not really a book thief but rather someon who finds lost books and later borrows books she returns, so why is she the book thief. When hans, a kindly housepainter, learns that liesel cannot read, he teaches the child the wonders of the written language.