The Reader

If this film was supposed to be primarily a drama about responsibility, guilt, and punishment, it failed to evoke the relevant emotions and catharsis in me. The film combines two problems: the relationship between a 15-year-old boy and a woman from an older generation, and the conflict arising from the young woman's involvement in war crimes. I am not familiar with the book, so I cannot assess to what extent the film's shortcomings stem from the literary material or the screenplay. However, some motifs and layers of the characters' relationship remained hidden or failed to captivate me. The stronger problem in general seemed to be the relationship between two unequal sexual partners. The genesis of this relationship is not particularly shocking, although it is certainly one of the few taboos that still exist today. Post-war Germany had to deal with the problem that millions of men had fallen on the front lines, so women found various ways to help themselves. The aspect of crime and punishment does not work for two reasons: firstly because the protagonist's involvement in the crimes is unquestionable, and secondly, because this line is overshadowed by the bizarreness of the whole plot and the main character. The characters seemed too flat to me, and the film felt dragged out. Overall impression: 55%. (24/10/2010)

To be honest, I don't understand why I liked The Reader so much. I’m absolutely immune to Kate Winslet's feminine charms, David Kross strikes me as a terribly shallow actor, and the story is just another cloying and wannabe thought-provoking tale about tragic love. But the narrative is so gripping, atmospheric, emotionally charged and, in the case of Winslet and Fiennes, superbly acted, that Rosamunde Pilcher should give up on romance novels and get into science fiction. But to be fair to Kross, the chemistry between him and Kate is perfect, and their scenes together are definitely the highlight of the film. As a self-proclaimed tough guy, I didn't need any tissues, but the power of the story still hit me with such a creeping impact that I will never forget it. Strong 4*. (23/03/2013)

The part that takes place in the fifties is proof that pedophile soft porn and a story don’t go well together. The voyage through the sixties raises hopes that it would turn to some burning questions regarding collective guilt, the need to find a scape goat and to hypocritical verdicts for “the nation’s peace of mind". But no more than two or three sentences are uttered about that. And the final twenty years are good, but nothing more than just good. It’s a crying shame that the Germans didn’t adapt the book themselves. At a time when German cinema is experiencing a historic boom, when they settle up accounts with one historical skeleton in the closet after another, it would fit beautifully into their clutch of movies. They certainly have the actors for it (in fact apart from Kate and Ralph everybody’s German here). Plus it would be in German which would significantly add to the authenticity. And the English with a would-be German accent is torture to the ears. (24/04/2009)

A nice drama with a leisurely start and a very intense second half and ending. Kate Winslet has outdone herself with a performance that is clearly Oscar worthy. I also appreciate that the film doesn’t pass any categorical judgement, leaving the viewers free to impart their own absolution. The topics The Reader deals with are so strong and deep that, thanks to the above mentioned liberty, they will stay in your head for a lot longer than five minutes after the screening. I also want to praise the music, it’s not obtrusive but still striking enough for me to notice it (which is far from the rule for me). (26/01/2009)

A captivating and unique film charged with intimacy, which does not explicitly show off and therefore does not disrupt the smoothness and flow of the story. Ralph Fiennes was maybe born for such roles, and Kate Winslet is in a surprising role that I could never have imagined her in before. I have some quibbles about artificially heightened moments due to the routine piano, but otherwise I’m satisfied overall. After a long time, an intelligent film with a serious theme, executed in a way that you won't get bored, and that is appreciated. Daldry is not completely useless after all. (15/05/2010)