The Book Thief, Non-Stop and The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Book Thief could have been a great movie but it was let down by a poor screenplay  and even worse direction. The bestselling book was obviously very popular, and the underlying story of a young girl's experiences in a German town during WW2 could have made a superior thriller. Instead we have Nazi brutality mixed with sentimental drama. The narration by "Death" himself is totally banal and the direction of Brian Percival makes it all feel extremely awkward. For once, the children's acting is amateur, and is in sharp contrast to the performances of Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson who try to save the day with occasional heart braking scenes. If only they had not been told to use mock German accents with too many "jas" and "neins" thrown in. What a shame.

Instantly forgettable but fun at the time, Non-Stop gives a whole new twist to the "whodunit" genre. It all takes place on a plane, which does give this (comedy?) thriller a kind of claustrophobic feel as one death leads to another. Agatha Christie would be amused. But this is a movie that piles ridiculous situations one on top of the other. So there is no real tension as the plot seems so ludicrous. Liam Neeson is back in his tough guy mode, but this time with a totally unlovable character. I know he has to be for the plot's sake, but guys, give us a break.

The trailer for The Grand Budapest Hotel is fantastic and promises so much for this Wes Anderson movie. So it was a little disappointing that the mad cap action and humour could obviously not be maintained for the whole time. However, Ralph Fiennes is truly great in the lead role. His comic timing is superb and he is complemented by the wealth of characters and cameos (hard to spot Harvey Keitel midway through). But what gets in the way is hardly a criticism. The sets are so good that  they didn't need a story. They are truly colourful and magical. And when occasionally stuffed full of a hundred plus extras, it is truly a delight to behold. So whilst I sat back and revelled in the picture on the screen, the screenplay did not involve me as I had hoped. Maybe that was the plan, all surface and no guts. After seeing the director's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom, I should have known. So although we get a visual masterpiece, and probably his best film to date, I guess for me it's a great script that will tell in the end.