Cold hearted

Rating: 4/10 (16 March 2009)

This is a very cold movie and dangerously close to a hollow and fake one, like the typical Oscar fare. My problem with it is that it is very difficult to sympathize with either one of the two main characters and the other players are just shadows moving in the background.
Much was written about the early sex scenes, which are beautifully lit and bring to mind soft-porn movies rather than anything linked with the holocaust. Because of the way the story is presented - a torrid affair between a boy and an older woman - everything that happens afterward tastes fake. Sure, there are some pretty serious questions hanging around - German guilt, personal choices, etc... - but eventually it all boils down to a couple of unpleasant, cold-hearted people who do not care much about others and little about themselves.
Hanna is a little bit more believable as a character, as the uneducated, brutal creature who just obeys orders and does not think about the past or consequences. The boy Michael is a stereotype of the cold German, and on top of that, his actions are totally illogical. First he is supposed to be in love with Hanna, but does nothing to help her (due to German guilt I guess, but still unforgivable, especially coming from somebody who chose law as his profession). Then, after many years he is again "nice" to her, but refuses any direct contact and finally, when it is conveniently too late, he decides to come clean and confess.
Of course people behave in illogical and inconsistent ways, but I found his behavior really too much of a mess. Kate Winslet as Hanna is good, but again, this role is possibly the most unsympathetic, distasteful and ambiguous she ever played. I'd rather see a good comedy any time than a pretentious, made-for-the-Oscar movie like this one.