What an intriguing, engrossing, well judged piece of drama this is.
Why can't there be more films like The Reader? Those which deal with real people, real issues, real stories that are worthy of being told. They rear their heads in an act of rarity around Oscar season but the rest of the time the big screen seems to be plagued with explosions, car chases, and special effects, which are fine in doses but get tiresome when almost every movie has an element of them at some stage or another. The Reader is a gripping experience, one only hindered by two important points that hold it back from being truly excellent. The film is about the utter willingness to try new things, meet and interact with new people and how one person can have such an effect on another's life. This is almost the dictionary definition of an interesting story, and one told with satisfying conviction.…
Article comments
26 - to james
to james re: "who really is the victim?"
were you really so angry that a holocaust survivor was living in a nice apartment? hannah 'felt guilty' (!) for the rest of her life!? "who really is the victim?" !!!!!
27 - Cisco
what languages you learn...latin... and then the boy says do you want some greek and Kate Winslet turns ass up but the boy did not picked up/
28 - Victoria Bazhanov
Dr. Nadeem,
You don't need to know how to read and write in order to know when to do the right thing.It's time to stop coming up with bogus excuses for German crimes.
29 - kate
I saw this movie again and again. It's powerful, touching, intriguing, heartwrenching, thought-provoking. As the title goes- this story is about Michael mostly, about his generation. The only good thing that happened to Hanna's life was the relationship with Michael, at his great emotional expense; for her probably first time in her life and her last, she was able to love someone, she was holding onto herself wishing Michael would visit her in prison throughout all those years but he didn't and towards last few years of her life she let go of pulling herself together(as told to Michael by the main warden, in the book version). I always wonder what would have happened if the law student Michael visited her, would things be turned around, that she would have a lighter sentence and Michael might come to terms with her past and re-ignited his passion for her? But of course he couldn't, as with many in his generation- couldn't come to terms of the horrific crimes that their previous generation has committed. The story could only have this tragic ending.
Winslet's performance was good no doubt but I found Kross' performance most exceptional- natural, innocent and moving. Fiennes' performance was subtle- the older Michael still wearing his 15 year-old's heart on sleeves.