Understated and intelligent... a very good film.

Rating: 7/10 (5 October 2008)

I went to see this with an open mind and was not disappointed. Although as others have said the two boys could not have met unobserved for so long, if you are prepared to overlook this you have a wonderful film. Almost as painful to watch as the inmates' suffering are the terrible effects on Bruno's family as it becomes harder for them to be able to ignore what is going on around them. The Lieutenant seems to be a stereotype until the dinner scene, when suddenly even he becomes a real human being.
Nearly all the horrific events are implied and off-screen, but the constant understated references are very clever: the black clouds blowing over the garden, and the chillingly brilliant scene with Gretel's dolls stored in the cellar, so innocent in itself but so evocative of what was really happening.
I would not class this as a children's film, but the way it is done from Bruno and Shmuel's perspective means that (older) children can relate to the characters. Nobody in the cinema said a word when the credits rolled when I saw it, it is so powerful. See this film.