A promising story that's horribly translated into film

Rating: 3/10 (22 April 2009)

While watching the film I had no doubt that the book would be an amazing one to read. It's a story with an awful lot of potential. However, the film doesn't come near to the atmosphere other films about the 2nd world war and the holocaust manage to create. The fact that the actors speak fluent English instead of German gives you the feeling that you're watching a pretty cheap film. Add a sudden change of weather (thunder and rain) when the scene is getting serious, and you really feel like you as an audience is not taken seriously at all. The actor who plays the boy in the striped pyjamas is not convincing and the characters aren't well thought out. There is no subtlety in the film. Everything is handed to you so you don't require to do any thinking yourself. The child's view could be interesting but is not well presented. The main character is presented to you at first as quite a smart and observing child, just to act in a way later on in the film that is in complete contrast with his previous behaviour. A predictable film that adds nothing to the genre and is completely unbelievable. The fact that it was only 90 minutes was the only reason for me to watch it till the end.