After The War.

Rating: 7/10 (21 June 2011)

I can see that I am not the only person who missed this excellent drama upon first release, and in fact I actually avoided it at the time, not bothering. Friends raved about it and I was ho-hum. Now I wish I had seen the film in a cinema, given it's potent impact even through the hell of watching THE READER on commercial clogged Television. A revisit on DVD is now a must. Similar in structure to SOPHIE'S CHOICE another WW2 aftermath moral dilemma with time shifts and character revelations, THE READER is a completely absorbing and thrilling drama with superb casting and excellent production values. Made on a modest budget and with new comer David Kross' pivotal performance as the teen in love with older woman with a vile past (Kate Winslet) THE READER establishes itself strongly with a heady mix of sex and secrets. The scenes at the lake with his teen friends realising he is up to something are also evocative. A similar but more ghastly film was the 1971 film THE NIGHT PORTER with a role reversal and disgusting fetish. If you see it you can see the identity swap and the cruelty of attraction. THE READER has a sunny lead teen and a cold femme balance. The moral dilemma is not to be revealed but witnessed as you see the film for the first time.