Kate Winslet is awesome. THE READER is dynamic.

Rating: 9/10 (18 April 2009)

First of all an injustice needs to be recognized. THE READER is far and away better than SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. Kate Winslet much deserving of all her accolades. Winslet is mesmerizing as Hanna Schmitz, a lonely working class woman, who befriends an ill 15 year old Michael Berg(David Kross). The two enter into and intense sexual affair and the tender moments escalate by way of the books that the teenager reads to Hanna. Several years later, Michael, now a young law student takes part in a seminar that observes Nazi war trials. To Michael's shock, Hanna is on trial for notorious crimes she was part of when working as an SS prison guard. He actually knows a secret Hanna is keeping that could be her own salvation.
As Hanna is serving a life sentence in prison, the grown Michael(Ralph Fiennes, now a divorced father of one, begins reading books on tape to send to his former lover. So influenced by her memory, he becomes a man possessed supplying Hanna with tapes; she in turn is inspired to learn to read and write. A poignant story of romance and dedication. Kudos to director Stephen Daldry for the simple matter-of-fact atmosphere. Also in the cast: Jeanette Hain, Lena Olin and Bruno Ganz. If you have to go out of your way a bit to see THE READER, it is well worth it. A no miss masterpiece.