And the Award For Best Performance in This Film Goes to . . . David Kross

Rating: 9/10 (21 April 2011)

An ambitious work of art, "The Reader" nearly matches the very high achievement of the novel on which it is based. There is no syrupy, Disney-style distortion of real life; nor will you have to endure the usual Hollywood pandering to pressure groups - no tired prudery masquerading as pseudo-raciness in this film. Simply put, the honest, forthright portrayal of a beautiful, terrible and heart-wrenching love story is a godsend for those used to the dishonest babble of Hollywood.
Kate Winslet does a fine job of portraying Hanna, both as a seductive train conductor in her thirties and as an older woman wasting away in prison. David Kross's performance as young Michael, however, is slightly superior to Winslet's. When it comes to young male performers, forget the insipid silliness of Zac Efron and Jesse McCartney. Kross is not a hollow piece of eye candy, but a young man of substance who courageously dedicates his body and his considerable acting skills to his craft. He is especially good in the scene where he reads "Huckleberry Finn" to Winslet.
To its credit, "The Reader" does not shy away from the negative after-effects Michael struggles with when dealing with his cub-cougar relationship with Hanna. Regarding the Holocaust, when Hanna asks the judge a pointed, naive question, we are forced to consider the role self-preservation and human frailty play in the face of overarching, domineering evil.
This movie easily surpasses some films frequently listed by critics as among the greatest of all time. Off the top of my head, "The Reader" is superior to "The Searchers" and "Midnight Cowboy" by a good margin. It contains some of the finest love scenes ever filmed, and the scene in which Hanna washes Michael while they're both standing is one of the most poignant, beautiful depictions of the male body in all of cinema. "The Reader" deserves the highest recommendation, and all adults should make time to view it except, perhaps, for those who have an aversion to the sight of the human body.