The Reader-Don't Blame Illiteracy on this One **

Rating: 4/10 (11 June 2009)

Extremely disappointing post-World War 11 film in Germany. A totally undeserved Oscar win for Kate Winslet. She, as others in the past, got the compensation award for previously losing the coveted award. Surely, Meryl Streep in "Doubt," and Ann Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" gave far better performances.
As for this movie, most of the story could have been told in 40 minutes or so. The best line of the movie in my opinion was that Jewish people don't have to worry about illiteracy. How true that is.
Winslet was often droll here. I expected her to breakout at some point but that never occurred. The prosecuting attorney was without emotion here. Remember Max Schell in that kind of role in "Judgment at Nuremberg?"
David Kross deserves acting kudos for his role as the young man caught up in a sexual romp with Hannah Schmitz, (Winslet)
Both Kross and an older Ralph Fiennes play the role of Michael Berg. I was expecting to hear at some point that Berg was Jewish. After all, it is a Jewish name.
While it is true that their romance took place over one summer, the film is missing a steaminess. When he discovers what Hannah has done, Cross keeps his head down as if he is ashamed to have been associated with her. After all, he never visited her in prison.
Let us never try to make Hannah a compassionate person because she was illiterate. As the Nazi guard, she knew exactly what she was doing in the selection process. In addition, this illiterate had her victims read to her before they met their cruel fate. Was she trying to exploit her young lover in the same way?