claudiu_icf Such a brilliant movie with great actors and a beautiful heartbreaking end! I would definitelly recomend it to everyone who likes a sad touching movie!

livia-rockenbach This 2008-adaptation of John Boyce's bestseller could really extract the most important essence from the book: the war seen by the eyes of a eight-year-old boy. That's why the strong scenes have the perfect innocence and lightness they should have. Also, the true friendship between Bruno and Shmuel makes everyone, even those who don't appreciate history movies, interested until the end.I have already seen a lot of films whose theme is the Second World War, but this one is definitely my favorite because of the fact that the main characters are children. We cheer for Bruno and Shmuel and we start to hate Bruno's father even before we notice him. The film hooks people from all ages, from adults to children (although I wouldn't recommend it to kids under 10 years old) because, in some way, everyone finds it relatable to their own lives. I must also give credits to young Asa Butterfield's wonderful acting.It is so nice when a movie can actually make people think about what they have watched. This is what happened when I first watched it with my family. We took hours talking about what we had just watched. Even my twelve-year-old brother started to ask more about the Second World War. When he found out this war really happened, he got really upset.The scene of the boys' death is just horrific and very faithful to the book. Again, everything is seen by the eyes of young Bruno, who thinks he's going on a trip. The innocence of both German and Jewish boys made me tear up. For those who are looking for a film that is very faithful to the real details of the war, I have to say that this one is not a realistic representation of real events and it isn't meant to be. It is not based on a real story, so it doesn't have the responsibility of representing every single detail of the real world. Bruno and Shmuel didn't actually exist. However, their story can still make us think and force us to never forget about how humanity has nothing to be proud of about the Holocaust.I would recommend this film to every person who doesn't care about crying when watching a movie. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is touching at the same time that is heavy and powerful. Mark Herman, the director, as well as all the cast and production, succeed in their jobs. Take your tissues to wipe away your tears and press start!

Raj Doctor It is a movie adapted from a novel by John Boyne who also wrote the screenplay with the Director Mark Hermann who strangely has not written or directed any other movie since this one.This German story is about Bruno (Asa Butterfield) - 8 year old son of a World War 2 soldier Ralf (David Thewlis) who is transferred along with his wife Elsa (Vera Farmiga) and 12 year old daughter Gretel (Amber Beattle) to look over a Jewish concentration camp, where lonely Bruno makes friends with a Jewish 8 year old boy Shmuel (Jack Scanlon) across the camp's fence.Bruno is totally innocent about what's going on and the fact that Jews are considered enemies of Germans and systematically killed. In an attempt to search for the missing father of Shmuel - Bruno secretly digs under the fence to enter the concentration camp - but both kids meet a fatal end - as that day they are taken to the gas chamber. The movie follows a fictional story form like a fable. Though criticized for the novel and movie's improbability - the movie holds good to send the message of how wrong the whole holocaust was.The movie looks at the events unfolding through the eyes of an eight year old child with a sub-plot of an anguish wife who is not party to her husband's nationalistic work. It is well directed by Mark, and all the actors especially both boys Asa as Bruno and Jack as Shmuel have acted beautifully. The movie is haunting to say the least and its impact as well remains in one's mind even after the movie is over. It is brutal and disturbing to see one human treating other human in this way. The musical score by James Horner was so effective that until you do not pay attention to it - it remains subtle to your sense. I will go with 7 out of 10 for this movie.

Tony Van Duin Firstly I was very confused as to why a German family all had English accents, but gradually moved past it. Equally confusing was why a German family in Nazi Germany was praying Christian prayers, and when there Grandmother died there was a Catholic burial. It all pointed to a very modern understanding of the world, that was not accurate with how Nazi Germany was at the time. This kind of sanitation was very disappointing. Also, why wasn't the boy of an SS officer in the Hitler Youth, and well versed to Nazi propaganda? It seems the film maker either wasn't well read in history, or the more likely, they simply wanted to make it digestible to the audience. Such a shame if it is the latter.