The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is an eight year old boy and son of a German soldier, (David Thewlis) who is sent to run a concentration camp in the height of the Second World War. Due to this he moves his whole family to a house near one of the camps. After exploring one day Bruno finds a boy called Shmuel (Jack Scanlon) sitting in the camp and makes friends with him. As the film unwinds we see the harsh realities of World War 2 through the eyes of two eight year old boys.

To say this film was awesome is the understatement of the century. It has been a long while since I have seen a film that moved me as much as this one did.

Although there have been many war films, I once heard it said that there is no story that has been done too many times as long as you find a new angle to see it. This film was that, it was harsh, truthful, rough and didn’t pull any punches when talking about the brutality that was used in the concentration camps at that time. But every plot turn we saw was seen through the eyes of Bruno; an eight year old boy who for the main part of the film thinks he’s living next door to a farm whose occupants seem to be wearing strange pyjamas.

With this angle we never see blatant portrayals of the torture that the Jews had to endure but rather subtle hints that leaves you chilled to the bone. It is so beautifully done that I spent two or so hours with my mouth wide open and my body completely tense.

I could not find one thing wrong with this film. With an amazing script, stunning performances from all, inspired directing and an almighty film score I was amazed from beginning to end. I mean this to the point where I almost want to make it my life mission to get every person I know to see it. As far as I’m concerned there is no reason for you not to see this and if there is just one film you see this year, make sure it’s this one. An almighty five faces from me.

Taken

Bryan (Liam Neeson) is a retired spy for the government who has left his job to devote his time to his 17 year old daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace) who he had been estranged from for the majority of her life. When she goes to Paris with her friend she is kidnapped by human traffickers and Bryan goes on the war path to get his daughter back.

Well this film had an awesome trailer that took a plot line that had been used many times and made me interested.

Unfortunately that was where the intrigue ended. It was a competent film with one of the greats (Neeson) as it's lead and so in my mind was worth seeing at least once. The action was interesting enough to keep me on my toes throughout and the pace of the film was just right to not cause that dragging feeling you can sometimes feel in action films.

This was all it was however. There was nothing amazing about it that made me impressed and balled over. Neeson's acting carried the film though his American accent was little to be desired and quite often he just sounded like a Irish man trying to carry himself off as an American. (Which in all fairness to him is what he is)

The action in the film although fast paced and interesting did leave me and my regular film buddy a little skeptical. Neeson's skills as a spy seemed to be reliant on coincidences in his circumstances rather than any actual clever writing.

And were the reactions the characters had to the situation they found themselves in realistic? Meh. Bad script writers. Bad.

All in all, it wasn't one I regretted seeing but I've pretty much forgotten about it already and I only finished watching it an hour ago. You probably won't hate it, but you probably won't love it either - I guess that means I nothing it....

Neeson's performance gained one more face than this film probably deserved which proves their one golden good choice was in their casting. It gets a (just barely) three faces from me.