Passionate, thoughtful and moving, but there was a problem...

Rating: 7/10 (12 January 2009)

I enjoyed "The Reader". I did. I thought it was a good film. A passionate, thoughtful and moving piece of work about guilt, shame and the secrets that can blight a life. In the first half Kate Winslet and David Kross carried the film, and both were very good, but when Ralph Fiennes took centre stage, "The Reader" became outstanding. "The Reader" was a solid and quality piece of work.
My problem? Er... Well, the nudity. Kate's copious nakedness was really kind of distracting and "The Reader" didn't need it. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it took something away from the power of the movie. Perhaps the filmmakers thought they had to demonstrate, in a blatant and provocative way, the passion and the intensity of the affair between the older woman and the younger boy? I don't know. I just felt that the explicitness was draining and a little bit unnecessary.
Come on guys (and gals)! There are other ways to shoot love scenes. You can concentrate on the legs, the arms, the back, the lips, the feet, the face. Especially the face. You don't need to show everything.
I am not a prude. If Kate Winslet still wants to take her clothes off on screen, then that is just great. In fact, it is fantastic! More power to her elbow. At 33 she is still a fine looking woman. I even promise to only slightly smile when she comes out with the standard spiel about the nudity being 'essential to the plot'.
But be honest. The nudity was not essential to "The Reader", now, was it?