The Book Thief Has Oscar Stolen From It

Rating: 10/10 (22 April 2014)

A touching, almost ethereal, but masterfully balanced & non-pretentious film about a small street in a small village in Germany prior to and during Hitler's madness.
Unique in that it focuses on German children, their parents or neighbors living day-to-day as the fist of Hitler clenches tighter and tighter over their lives and families. Narrative from the point of view of Death is sheer genius as it threads to ever escalating scenes.
Why this movie was not nominated for an Oscar as best screenplay, movie, or other of the more prominent awards in the wake of the filth, repugnance and "yuck" of American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club, or that horrid "Wolf of Wall Street" -- spins a sad commentary on the Academy's taste and negligence for quality stories, movies, and creativity thankfully still shown in pictures such as this.
I watched this film twice in one day -- whereas the others I had to slog through over weeks because in minutes I'd feel so disgustingly pooed on with excessive profanity, nudity, and other ilk rampant in Hollywood film today.
This one tells a heartfelt, simple tale of decency, survival, and resilience in the face of unspeakable odds during one of our world's most damning eras. Bravo to the producer and director of the film for allowing movie audiences moments to drink in a story without having to slog through the underworld of modern society. Refreshingly poignant and compelling.