The Book Thief

An inspiring story of a young girl's desire to read on a backdrop of the rising Nazi Germany and anti-Semitic ideals, The Book Thief is one of the best films of the new year.
Most films tackling the heavy topic of the Holocaust and Nazi Germany focus all of their attention on the atrocities that occurred during those years, but The Book Thief takes a different route.
It is how it keeps it's PG rating, but also what puts it in elite company when it comes to "war-themed" films.
We are guided through Liesel Meminger's (played brilliantly by 13 year old French-Canadian actress Sophie Nelisse) story by the Angel of Death himself (voiced by Roger Allam).
Death is not one to beat around the bush with his message - he is the Angel responsible with taking people's souls after all. His role is no different in The Book Thief.
From the very first scene he sets the tone, explaining how everybody dies regardless of what they do to avoid it.
This is not going to be a comedy.
We first meet Liesel and her brother on a train with her mother on their way to meet their new foster parents in Grermany, 1938. It also then Death makes his first appearance, taking the life of Liesel's brother.
After a railway-side burial, Liesel spies a book that has dropped out of one of the gravedigger's pocket and takes it to remember her brother.
The only problem is she can't actually read.
Enter foster parents Hans (an outstanding Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson) Hubermann. Hans is the openly kind and caring parent while Rosa is the tough-skinned taskmaster who initially frightens and intimidates the young Liesel.
Hans takes an  instant liking to Liesel, portraying a soft outer shell that Rush does so well. He takes her under his wing, teaching her to read and going out of his way to make her comfortable. It is their closeness that is given the most focus out of four main relationships; their bond no better demonstrated when Hans boards a train destined for the war and she says softly "please come home".
It is that event that finally sees Rosa crack.
Rosa starts out as a harsh, intimidating piece of work who is known as just that in the small town, but as Liesel spends more time in her life she begins to show a softer side. Emily Watson doesn't have too much to do on-screen, but almost everything she does is gold. Whether it's a quick show of discipline, a harsh order, crying alone in an empty bed or complete and utter ecstasy when delivering good news to Liesel.
We also meet young neighbour Rudy Steiner (Nico Liersch) who instantly falls for Liesel, and he decides to become her friend and accompany her to school. The interaction between these two characters - the childhood romance if you will - provide a heartwarming escape from the early stages of Nazi Germany's influence on the small town.
Later on we meet Max Vandenburg (Ben Schnetzer), who is Liesel's fourth and one of the most influential relationships explored in the film. He is a Jew living in Germany, and was forced to leave his mother when Nazi troops raided a town earlier in the film. Taken in by Hans, who fought with Max's father in first War, he lives first upstairs of their tiny house then in the basement, away from prying eyes. His interactions with Liesel allow her to develop both her reading and imagination, her character growing with every scene they share.
Do yourself a favour - go and watch The Book Thief.
You are going to laugh, you are going to cry, but you also be inspired by Liesel Meminger's tale.