BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 

Frost/Nixon 

Milk 

The Reader 

Slumdog Millionaire

The Reader (2008) review

The film smacks us right away as a series of moral dilemmas. Certainly contrived by author Bernhard Schlink, whose original original The Reader was an international bestseller. Schlink, a lawyer/judge who usually writes detective stories. He broke with his writing and took on the novel which becomes a meditation on Nazism and takes on the denial of the surviving participants and the incomprehension of Germans like Michael who were born in the aftermath. The questions are fair ones—that perhaps resonate more deeply in the 21st Century. What of the role of guilt in victims, guilt of the perpetrators, guilt of the individuals and the collective. What of the justice, the forgiveness, redemption and of course, literacy and the role in Western thought.

All of this is a pretty heady stuff for any film to take on its shoulders. The director, Stephen Daldry (The Hours) pulls all of this together with help from David Hare’s screenplay and the remarkable cinematography of Roger Deakins together with a sensitive score by Nico Muhly, this is indeed rarefied film-making.

The story pulls us into post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg (David Cross) becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age (Kate Winslet). Naturally, when Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out his healer Hanna to thank her, the two become passionate. David Kross is amazing as the young Michael. Some say the key role in the film. As the two are quickly drawn into this passionate but secretive affair, Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day. Michael is left heartbroken.

Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna – this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna’s past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives. The Reader is a wonderful story.

Kate Winslet is magnificent, especially her scenes with the wonderful David Kross are filled with compelling, contradictory and totally believable undertones. I think the problems with the film on the shoulders of director Stephen Daldry. Some of the scenes are confusing and painfully long with little point. His other films like “Billy Elliot” and “The Hours” have some of the same issues with long drawn out scenes. Ralph Fiennes who I always find to be amazing in everything he does, has some wonderful moments with Winslet and they are able to keep the mood almost haunting of what could have been.

In the end we are left with a good movie, but one that could have been better. The acting is superb with some surprising feelings. The oscar nomination will find this movie an audience that it might not have found otherwise, ***/**** •.

• The posters for the film are all designed the same way with snippets of the face thing either done on small or large scale. Clean lines give it a classic look, but I think they could have gone retro WWII with it and done a better job and pulled more audiences to see it.

In a nutshell this is the story of the Duchess of Devonshire. She had a very controversial and lavish lifestyle from marrying at the age of 17 to a much older man who expects nothing less from his new bride than 18th century aristocratic behavior and for her to bear him a male child. Georgianna, the Duchess, is not complying. She enters into society, uses her beauty to advance a political undertone and indulge her own whims whatever they are and at whatever the cost to herself. Her actions eventually undo her wants and when the Duke exerts his wealth and power he brings to bear the power of an 18th century man over a woman.

The story is a tragic tale that looks absolutely stunning. Keira Knightley is beautiful as the Duchess. She has been in more than one period piece where her look is akin to wearing drapery. Though very uncomfortable looking in the 18th century garb, Knightley plays it well and appears as though she were made for the costumes. She plays opposite Ralph Fiennes as the Duke and holds her own.  The film is a large undertaking for relatively new director Saul Dibb, who also wrote the script for the movie.

The film is surprisingly good. At first glance it looks like a total bore, but once Knightley hits the screen there is no doubt your attention is going to be held. There is no urgency to run out to the theater for this one. Save your money and watch it on HBO. **/****.

As for the poster it depends on whether you like to look at Keria Knightley. It is a little disappointing that even with an 18th century period piece that the poster designer couldn’t find a scene that was usable. The poster is pretty, but could have been so much better.