A forty-something tram conductor (Kate Winslet) with a dark and terrible secret living in the grieving conscious of post-war Germany enters into an unsolicited affair with a ingenuous young school boy (David Kross). Bookmarked in 1995, the film initially explores the seemingly predatory, sexually-charged relationship between working-class Hanna & privileged Michael. As romance ensues, their casual fling turns into a fully-fledged starcross’d romance, that runs on equally strange stipulations. As the senior partner Hanna desires Michael read to her from a variety of classic texts ranging from Homer to Chekhov. Only after a reading occurs will the two have sex (some fantastically candid scenes shot by British New Wave DP Chris Menges). Like clockwork, trouble ensues and the love-nest created ruined by Hanna’s dark past (hmm post-war Germany what could it be? think Isla).

Despite a possible Oscar and three major best actress awards for Winslet, The Reader has the unpopular stench of Nicole Kidman about it. Like many other Kidman films that failed to make a mark (The Interpreter, The Invasion & Margot at the Wedding). It is very coincidental that Kidman herself was inline to play Hanna Schmitz. However, her recent pregnancy prevented that from happening. Winslet stepped back in line, while Revolutionary Road was in post-op and started shooting. With back to back movies from Winslet, no doubt audiences will be inundated. It doesn’t help her then that both aren’t terribly fantastic. The affair between the young protagonist and Hanna is initially engaging but is cut short by the annoying page turning back and forth through time. It’s all too soon and we’re left with the usual dramatic checklist in need of checking off. The attention turns to the much older Michael (engaging drama from Ralph Fiennes, but hey, when isn’t it?) who is reminiscing about his younger days.

For all of the great dramatic build-up, The Reader drops off the deep end. Perhaps a more successful film would have been structured differently, thus to further retain the coming-of-age angle that is apparent at the start of the film. But hey, I guess that amount of license was not desired, wanted or needed by the original novelist. So really The Reader was a flawed project to begin with.

Verdict:

Despite some hard-hitting performances from the three leads (which will probably win Kate Winslet an Oscar) The Reader is probably best read and not watched.