The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

Director: Mark Herman
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Jack Scanlon, Amber Beattie

Germany, World War II. An affluent German family moves to the countryside in order for the father (Thewlis), a high-ranking officer in the Nazi army, to carry out his duties of overseeing a concentration camp. His son, Bruno (Butterfield), lonely in his new setting, befriends a young Jewish boy imprisoned in the camp, ignorant of the nature of the concentration camp and the dangers that it presents. Based on the novel by John Boyne, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" has good intentions backing its storytelling and a cast that effectively and sensitively portrays each of the characters. However, the movies gets bogged downs by these very same characters, as their actions seem more archetypal than they do realistic in their actions. This leaves the movie seeming emotionally manipulative, attempting too earnestly to make its audience fully understand its message. "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" certainly makes its audience feel for the situation; its only flaw is that it tries too hard, making the story and characters transparent rather than fully developed.