Mar

19

“The Reader” - Do not miss this film!

Posted by Movie_Maven

March 19, 2009 |

I saw “The Reader” this morning in a virtually empty theatre and it has taken me nearly all day to recover from the emotional impact of this film.  Kate Winslet, whom I absolutely adore, deserved her Oscar 100 times over for her complex portrayal of Hanna Schmitz.  I am dumbfounded how David Kross (young Michael Berg) was not nominated for Best Actor as this film is, really, more about him, alternating between his coming-of-age affair with Hanna and progressing into his detached adulthood, wherein he was played by another favorite of mine, Ralph Fiennes.  Kross brings such a multi-layered innocent and vulnerable power to his role that I was truly mesmerized every time he was on screen (and I’m not only talking about the nudity - really people, come on!)  Equally mesmerizing was Winslet who, in my opinion, has been overlooked far too many times for Academy recognition despite her many nominations.  She is a beautiful, talented, and fearless actress.  I read that while Winslet was first offered this film, she had to decline because she was filming “Revolutionary Road” (which I have not as yet seen, but am eager to) and that Nicole Kidman was going to replace her; however, Kidman’s subsequent pregnancy allowed Winslet to be recast.  I honestly do not believe that Kidman would have brought the depth and poignancy to the role that Winslet did.

I am not going to divulge any plot information as there is enough of that available for anyone who wishes to be a bit more informed.  I knew much of the plot before I had seen the film and it did not take anything away from the experience for me.

The direction was perfect, as Stephen Daldry seems to have been born to direct.  The seamless flow between time periods (yes, this film is not linear) was equally superlative, as was the cinematography.

The impact of the film is tremendous.  I was sobbing through most of the second half and was physically exhausted by the time that it ended, just sitting in the theatre once it was finished trying to recover from the emotional roller coaster I had just ridden.


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