The Reader

Starring: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Jeanette Hain
Directed by: Stephen Daldry
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A young schoolboy (David Kross) meets a much older woman (Kate Winslet) where they become intimate, but also connect as he reads aloud to her in bed.

Review:

Tim: The Reader is an interesting movie. In many ways, it is a beautiful meditation on love, relationships, morality, loyalty, and whether sin can define us as human beings. On the other hand, it is a movie that ebbs and flows between greatness and mediocrity. It features some amazing performances, but doesn't always give its cast quite enough to do. In the end, I really did enjoy this movie. It simply works.

This movie features some incredible performances. This is the movie and the role that finally helped Kate Winslet break through and win her first Academy Award. She won a much-deserving Oscar for Best Actress for her remarkable performance. I can't really describe her performance in this movie. She is at times tender, startling, mysterious, commanding, and charming. I was not sure what to think about her at various points in the film, and this is due to her considerable acting ability. I don't think this is her best role, and in some ways, this might have been a make-up Oscar, but it was given for the right reasons and a strong role. Winslet really makes this movie. I also have to mention Ralph Fiennes. He is remarkable as well. While having a much smaller role than Winslet, he makes use of every second of screen time. I would not have liked this movie as much without him in this role. He is a fantastic actor and does commendable work here. I was most surprised at the performance of David Kross. I know nothing about this young man, but he somehow manages to hold his own against Winslet. These three actors are the true reason I liked this movie.

While I watched this film, I really vascillated quite a bit in my thinking of it. For the first half of the movie, I was mildly entertained, but I did not thoroughly enjoy it. The movie was setting up an interesting story, but was not particularly amazing. However, as the movie starts to wind down, there is a transformation, and I finally realized the beauty of this movie. I also have a soft spot for illiterate people struggling. During these scenes, with Fiennes and Winslet, the movie makes its mark.

The Reader is a good movie, but I think it was a bit overrated by critics. I enjoyed it, but I have a hard time believing this is truly one of the best movies of the year. It does feature the Academy Award winning performance of Kate Winslet, which is reason enough alone to watch this movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Revolutionary Road, Little Children, All the King's Men, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Titanic