"The Book Thief" stole over two hours of my time and gave me precious little in return.

Rating: 3/10 (10 December 2015)

"The Book Thief" (PG-13, 2:11) is one of those movies whose title tells you very little about the film, so allow me to fill you in. It's the story of life in Hitler's Germany, as seen through the eyes of a pretty and self-assured blonde tween named Liesel (Sophie Nelisse). She is "The Book Thief". Even though she doesn't know how to read, she takes a book that she sees someone drop on the ground. When she finally learns to read, the book thievery increases. She takes a book from a houseguest and later breaks into the local mayor's home (repeatedly) to avail herself of his large personal library. Of course, she refers to her activities as "borrowing".
After Liesel is, for her protection, given up by her communist mother, she is raised by a childless middle-aged couple (played by Oscar-nominee Emily Watson and Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush) in a small German town. Liesel's new mother is harsh but is hiding a big heart under her gruff exterior, while Liesel's new father is kind and nurturing. He teaches her to read, and a young man who comes to hide in their home (for reasons you can probably guess) teaches her to express herself. Meanwhile, Liesel forms a close friendship with a cocky, but sweet neighbor boy. Even as the world around her seems to become more dangerous and make less sense by the day, Liesel's love of learning , her growing creativity and the support of those around her carry her through.
After so many movies about Nazi Germany, I give this film credit for its realism and unusual focus. The restrictions, bigotry, fear and paranoia bred by the Nazis is treated as a simple matter-of-fact, giving us insight into what life was like for average Germans during World War II, and why they tolerated it. The film features a girl who really wants to read (good), but shows her stealing without consequences (not so good) and it's inexplicably narrated by Death (as in the Grim Reaper). The story is fairly interesting and the set decoration is great, but if you're interested in how the Nazi regime affected the lives of its people, I'd recommend 1993's "Swing Kids" (with a young Christian Bale) or 2008's heartbreaking "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". "The Book Thief" is too long as it tells a story that is only barely worthy of telling. "C"