The Boy in Striped Pajamas: The Review

This is the first movie I’ve become interested in, and seen JUST by the movie
poster alone. It’s a suuuuuuper interesting concept. Its this boy who lives next to
a Jewish Internment camp. And he be-friends a Jewish-boy his same age who
lives in the camp… the two have play dates through the fence. Its super sweet,
and horrifying at the same time. Really a solid film with a lot of interesting ideas.

There were a couple of things I wasn’t feeling however:

I would have liked to have seen the two boys have more screen time together. I
mean that IS the main premise of the film right?.. but nooo they’re all talkin about
the mom and DADS relationship, the sisters budding Nazi interests, the gardner,
the maid.. all this other kinda stuff.

Which is fine, I mean it really helps give you a good sense of the social-climate of
the time, but to be personally invested in the film, and the main character you
NEED to have him be on screen more, get in tune with his thoughts and ideas a
little better. Independent films always think they’re so cool… like to leave things
up to the viewer with as little assistance as possible, which leads a few scenes to
move a bit slow, or a bit dull at times.

But forreal… I mean.. usually when u put to kids together on screen its REALLY
charming like dennis the menace, or home alone?.. but who ever wrote this movie
out wanted to keep the kid humor REAL simple and accurate…. so its like.. ughh.
BORING.. have you ever REALLY watched 2 eight year olds talk?.. and not NOW
with PS3 and Poke-mon im talking about 100 years ago

BORING!

So that also made it hard to feel for the main characters, or ANY characters for that
matter. But regardless of the lack of character interest or development the over all
film is well done, the lead character/ little boy was EXCELLENT such curious and
blue eyes, its like “ you KNOW he’s going to get into trouble”.. all in all it was a
good movie.



I would have down played some of the background charactesr rolls, got rid of
some of the “ administrative tasks of actually MOVING to a new place, and
adjusting to the new home part of the story, and just FOCUSED on the bond
between the two

I mean.. the reason Titanic was so successful was NOT because of the sinking
ship, not the stories and feelings of everone on the ship… but the relationship
between leo and ehhh… Kate Winslet? ( I think that’s her name)

So if they focused on THAT part more I think this movie would have been a SMASH
hit as opposed to a net flix possibility.

Eitherway I’d say check it out , just a really clever and intresting social commentary:

3.5 stars