The Reader - Trailer

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=36460

Release Date: December 10, 2008 (NY, LA, SF; expands: Dec. 25; wide: Jan. 9, 2009)
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Director: Stephen Daldry
Screenwriter: David Hare
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, David Kross
Genre: Drama, Romance
MPAA Rating: R (for some scenes of sexuality and nudity)

Plot Summary:"The Reader" opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair.

Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Hanna is enthralled as Michael reads to her from "The Odyssey," "Huck Finn," and "The Lady with the Little Dog." Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken.

Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna back in his life – this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna's past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives. "The Reader" is a haunting story about truth and reconciliation, about how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another.

Trailer:

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Ralph Fiennes deadly hair aside this looks decent if a little dreary, and the young version of Fiennes looks too young.

 

[tzarinna]

I might check this out.

 

[Hunter Rider]

So this is the movie of the moment, not for the right reasons perhaps, but everyone seems to have a view on it even if they haven't seen it.

I decided to take a shot and give it a watch, what I found is a movie that has 2 main things going for it, the first being that it doesn't really force you to feel any certain way about what you are seeing.

The other is Kate Winslet, I am sure someone will correct me but I can't think of an actress who has given 2 such excellent and varied performances in one year. Her portrayal of Hannah Schmitz is haunting and subtle, their is a confident sexy side, a naive and almost innocent side, and a cold detached side all packaged into a character you can't help but feel conflicted by.

No such problem from Ralph Fiennes and his creepy man child stylings, the guy is a solid actor but something about him is always unappealing and a little off, the younger version of his character Micheal, played by David Kross, is well cast, as he too has the same type of unappealing and creepy demeanour, which means the "romance" part of the film is pretty much a bust.

However the supposed romance really isn't a romance, it's more a case of Hannah being lonely and wanting a companion, and the reason Michael is so affected by it in later life is that it was his first "love" and then he comes to find out his love was a guard at Auschowitz, kinda takes the swagger out of a man's stride.

The central story is a powerful and well told one across 30 years, yes it is slow and I dare say some will say boring, I think the first 30 minutes would be unwatchable without Winslet, but the second half of the movie where her case comes to trial is much more interesting and the timeline of their 2 lives we follow from here has some thought provoking points.

Direction-wise it's basic and serviceable, the narrative is tied together competently but I honestly felt I could have been watching an ITV drama.

I will probably never watch this film again It's a good story and a solid movie with a brilliant performance from Kate Winslet, but I don't think it is one of the top 5 movies of 2008.

7.5/10

 

[Nirvana]

I saw this several weeks ago...I really disliked this move. It seemed like one of those movies that had tons of nudity just for the sake of nudity. Not to mention the affair seemed to have absolutely no motive behind it. Maybe it was because Kate Winstlet was so lonely? There really seemed to be no motive behind it. Not to mention when they reveal her "big secret" it wasn't particularly shocking...I do have to say, once he goes to college the movie starts to get interesting, but really slow at the same time. Overall, it was well acted, but just fell flat. I'm glad I saw Slumdog Millionaire immediately after. How this movie made it into the Best Picture race above Doubt, The Wrestler, The Dark Knight, or even Gran Torino, is beyond me.

5/10

 

[Movies205]

I saw this several weeks ago...I really disliked this move. It seemed like one of those movies that had tons of nudity just for the sake of nudity. Not to mention the affair seemed to have absolutely no motive behind it. Maybe it was because Kate Winstlet was so lonely? There really seemed to be no motive behind it. Not to mention when they reveal her "big secret" it wasn't particularly shocking...I do have to say, once he goes to college the movie starts to get interesting, but really slow at the same time. Overall, it was well acted, but just fell flat. I'm glad I saw Slumdog Millionaire immediately after. How this movie made it into the Best Picture race above Doubt, The Wrestler, The Dark Knight, or even Gran Torino, is beyond me.

5/10

Does every affair that you have happen to have some great neatly place motive behind it? As for her secret was it suppose to be shocking?

The film is about an event that completely disturbs a man for life and we get a complete understanding of that man's life from only three points of his life, I think that's quite extraordinary, don't you? I suppose its comes back to the question of does film have to be entertaining? Does it have to be something that you want watch over and over again?

The Reader is not a "crap" film, its well produced and executed so people should stop refering to it as a Uwe Boll film. It is, however, a difficult film to swallow because its not going give you a neat little trail to follow nor is it going to affirm your suspicions, it'll leave you hanging and uncomfortable that's why I liked it so much.

 

[JaD]

I'd like to hear more about what people have to say about this "Best Picture" nominee.

 

[Drizzle]

This film will go down in history as the film that unjustly beat "The Dark Knight" (and to a lesser extent, "The Wrestler") to a Best Picture nomination. Just like "Crash" was notorious as the film that shockingly beat "Brokeback Mountain" for Best Picture.

 

[Cinemaman]

Or Chicago that beat The Pianist

 

[GhostPoet]

Wow...this film sounds insanely boring.

 

[Raiden]

Or Chicago that beat The Pianist

How about Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan? Now that was a travesty.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

I think it's funny this movie is getting nominated after Kate Winslet's little speech in Extras, skip to 3:10;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR2mBxumNe4

 

[Figs]

For those that have seen this, are the sex scenes any good?

That would be just about the only thing that might get me to watch this.

Seriously...watching the SAG awards last night...Winslet has one of the best racks, those things looked gorgeous last night.

 

[Raiden]

For those that have seen this, are the sex scenes any good?

That would be just about the only thing that might get me to watch this.

Seriously...watching the SAG awards last night...Winslet has one of the best racks, those things looked gorgeous last night.

Yeah, seeing Kate Winslet in those scenes is the only motivation for me to watch this movie, when it's out on DVD.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

For those that have seen this, are the sex scenes any good?

That would be just about the only thing that might get me to watch this.

Seriously...watching the SAG awards last night...Winslet has one of the best racks, those things looked gorgeous last night.

The sex scenes weren't bad.

 

[Cinemaman]

How about Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan? Now that was a travesty.

Honestly, it wasn't so painful for me to recognize the fact that SHakespeare won it over Ryan, especially if we take into account Spielberg's second award for directing the film.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Winslet has a veeerrry nice rack.

That's all I got to say really.

 

[Watson]

I think it's funny this movie is getting nominated after Kate Winslet's little speech in Extras, skip to 3:10;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR2mBxumNe4

LMAO, she was great in that episode

I'm excited to see this. Anyone read the book? I heard it's pretty good as well.

 

[JaD]

Seriously...watching the SAG awards last night...Winslet has one of the best racks, those things looked gorgeous last night.

I couldn't stop staring either.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I finally saw the infamous movie that got the 5th nomination over TDK, Doubt, The Wrestler, Wall-E, etc.

Did I think this movie was not as good as the ones listed? Personally, yes. However, this is not the worst movie ever nominated for BP at the Oscars. I enjoyed the film overall, and don't think it quite deserves all the hate it is getting. I didn't think it wasn't as good the ones above by that much. This is clearly a case of a film not being for everyone. I'm not going to say people who didn't get it are the ones who hated it. This is just a slow, dry art film. While something like TDK has plenty of eye candy and theatrics to please people, The Wrestler has Rourke and relatable instances, and Wall-E has cute robots (have yet to see Doubt, so can't say anything). This movie is just slow and dry, which works for what it is trying to accomplish.

All in all, I liked it.

 

[tzarinna]

Saw this today, Winslet was great. It's amazing what shame and embarrassment will cause you to do. I figured out Hannah's problem early on, was a bit surprised how her pride really got in the way. I was moved by this film, got choked up a bit.