Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Delight Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

adonis98-743-186503 Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Berg re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial. Despite having both Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet in it 'The Reader' was pretty damn weird to say the least especially the whole romance between Winslet and the young boy was totally off. The make up that they used on her in order to make her look older is probably the only good thing about the movie but even that? Was not enough for me to care. (0/10)

vimalmohanpillai Absolutely amazing motion picture. This one will give you a flurry of emotions. Kate Winslet for sure did one of her career best acting in this movie. Her male counterpart did excel in his "kid" role. A must watch movie for all those who love meaningful drama.

The Movie Diorama This is an interesting one. Often regarded as an "Oscar-bait" film due to its subject matter and focus on acting. I never believe this term to be a detriment, in fact it evidently shows here because I thoroughly enjoyed this. A young boy has an affair with an older woman during one summer, she disappears after a promotion which is soon revealed to be a guard at a concentration camp. I shan't say too much in regards to the story, but this is very much what I call a "story film". We have a beginning, middle and end which are suitably implemented into a straightforward accessible narrative. Evoking themes of love, truth and reconciliation, I found this to be an endearing and sentimental story without the need of overacting and melodrama. I find that Kate Winslet often overacts, to a point where I dislike her. However, here she gives undoubtedly her best performance. Why? Because it's nuanced. No massive outbursts, no overly animated scenes. It's just her talking and taking control of every scene. Her subtlety and fragility is what captivated me. The character she portrays is shrouded in mystery and is psychologically intriguing, particularly as it is revealed she is unable to do a certain thing which all of us take for granted (I shan't say). Whereas David Kross and Ralph Fiennes' character, both may I just say were extremely competent, brings the heart and soul of the story. Love is a powerful emotion, one that cannot be fabricated or falsified. Ultimately, I believed in the relationship between these characters despite the events that take place. Loved the musical score as well, suited the film brilliantly. I did find the ending was slightly underwhelming, I would've liked it to be more impactful. Certain scenes did drag on however the pacing overall was fine. There is a lot of nudity, no idea why but the two main characters are always naked. Literally. The Reader might be too safe in its subject, but you cannot deny it's still a captivating watch and adequately moody.

FilmBuff1994 The Reader is a decent movie with an average plot and a stellar cast. I certainly had no issues with the actors, as a matter of fact, I could not help but sometimes feel that they were too good for this movie, as the amount of raw emotion Kate Winslet puts in to this Oscar winning performances is stunning for a film that gives her so little to work with. It is also a pleasure, as always, to watch Ralph Fiennes perform. The characters are all unlikeable, none of them really having any likability to them, they do not have definable traits. Michael Berg is the main character that guides this story, but there is not a single thing about this two dimensional being. He is established at the beginning as a man who had an affair, and there is not much scope put in to him beyond that, making it almost impossible to evoke any sort of compassion for his character, and even Hanna never truly grabbed me. The film also paints the Holocaust in a very strange light. While it is not idolising it in any way, it does not create an image of how horrendous these events were either. The director seemed to try his best to shed some light on these events, which just makes it unsettling, as we all know there is no positive outcome. Well acted, but nothing more. Poor characters and a disengaging story, I expected so much more from the Reader and was inevitably let down, I would advise giving it a miss. A man reminisces on his affair with a woman who has a much darker secret. Best Performance: Kate Winslet