This is not a perfect movie. Despite how good I think it is I did feel some pangs of disappointment. The movie is definitely told from the perspective of a child, and as a result we don't get the entire picture. There are characters and events I would have liked to know more about. I suspect that another 15-20 minutes of character development would have pushed this towards classic, or at least near-classic, status. There is so much more that I would have liked to learn about: the father's work and more background of the young lieutenant, among other things. However, I suspect this lack of background is intentional since it would rob the film of its perspective through the eyes of a child.
Mark Herman wrote this adaptation from a novel by John Boyne and directs. In the process he has crafted a film that packs an emotional wallop while giving us a welcome new perspective. He shows a sure hand in getting the story right without dumbing it down or letting it fall to any sort of Hollywood clichés. There are a number of fine performances including Vera Farmiga's protective mother, David Thewlis' determined military man, and Asa Butterfield as the boy whose innocence is threatened.
Bottomline. This is not a movie to be missed. It's not perfect and doesn't quite exist in the real world, but it succeeds at setting a believable tone and that is what matters with a story such as this. Do yourself a favor and see this.
Highly Recommended.
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