a typical Oscar wanting movie out of a terrible event

Rating: 4/10 (9 August 2009)

This movie only wants an Oscar- it doesn't care about what the general public will think of it, which irritates and annoys. The first half of the movie is just sex, sex and sex: so I guess you could call it Oscar-baiting porn. It's very unengaging and boring- all it cares about is winning an Oscar. Even Kate Winslet admitted it. Sure, she and Ralph Fiennes and David Kross can act, but you can't give them any real credit or awards in a movie that is pretentiously directed and tries so hard for them to win awards. No wonder it didn't make much money at the box office. This movie meant nothing to me- as David Kross's character meant nothing to Kate Winslet's. It's a big piece of anti-Nazi propaganda where not enough research or history has gone into it to make it even remotely interesting. I hope this movie marks an end of an era- where no movies that only want an Oscar won't get one, and the movies that don't care about success fail. There is no emotional work here- only badly directed, unfocused. The only time that I actually felt sorry for a character was when Hanna (Kate Winslet) was in a café and couldn't read. Then she went back to being a bitch. The most annoying thing about this movie that it tries too hard, only to give you flaws and sex scenes that aren't necessary. Note that this is not a porn movie, but a drama. There is no need for that much sex and nudity. I was never interested- and never will be. It isn't moving.
On the positive side, it is well acted and may get you thinking, but falls flat despite the potential and the rather good soundtrack