Reader Wanted!

Rating: 8/10 (26 January 2009)

Congratulations! You are the protagonist of this film review! Yes, you are. It is not me the writer, it is you "the reader". Come back! Please do not stop reading! Director Stephen Daldry's "The Reader" is definitely not the feel good movie of the year, but it is gripping enough to satisfy your visual-literary movie experience. Kate Winslet stars or is a supporting star (depending on which movie awards you go by) as Hannah Schmitz, a German lonely woman in the 40's who works as a transportation ticket-taker. Her young meal ticket though comes in the form of Michael Berg, a secluded teenager she meets in a side street in caring for him cause of an ailment. Eventually, Hanna's pedophile storm stars erupting when she starts having passionate sex with him on a routine basis. You don't have too read much into the fact that Michael does not mind that whatsoever. Hanna does fixate for Michael to read her novels and books; call it a foreplay literary fetish, but if it helps getting Kate Winslet into bed with you then it's a well read out plan. OK, enough! Hannah's temporary cradlerock adventure does fade when she deserts her apartment and also Michael for an employment promotion. Michael eventually reconnects with Hannah (and no, not on Facebook) years later as a law student when he witnesses a Holocaust S.S. trial which Hannah is one of the defendants. "The Reader" also shows a much older Michael in recent past time reminiscing on his "Hannah-Barbaro" experience, and in trying to open up resolving chapters in order to help the troubled older Hannah. Speaking of chapters, I will let you (the reader) visually read the remaining plot line chapters of "The Reader" in order for yours truly not to play the part of the antagonist "Reader Spoiler". Winslet's performance is worthy of all the accolades it has received. David Kross and Ralph Fiennes also delivered authentic performances as the young & older Michaels respectively. Writer-Director Stephen Daldry did demonstrate the post Holocaust doldrums in "The Reader", but his readiness on the narrative was primarily fixated on the impact that hiding a disability can have on people's lives. "The Reader" does include some inconsequential scenes that could have been read out of the film, but it is still a powerful film which you should read into. **** Good