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The Reader

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The Reader (2008)

December. 10,2008
|
7.6
|
R
| Drama Romance
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The story of Michael Berg, a German lawyer who, as a teenager in the late 1950s, had an affair with an older woman, Hanna, who then disappeared only to resurface years later as one of the defendants in a war crimes trial stemming from her actions as a concentration camp guard late in the war. He alone realizes that Hanna is illiterate and may be concealing that fact at the expense of her freedom.

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Reviews

Cubussoli
2008/12/10

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

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VividSimon
2008/12/11

Simply Perfect

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Bereamic
2008/12/12

Awesome Movie

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Philippa
2008/12/13

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

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Davis P
2008/12/14

The Reader (2008) is a very interesting film, unlike any other I've seen. The story focuses on Michael Berg, played by Ralph Fiennes and David Kross (younger Michael). It's about him and Kate Winslet's character, Hanna. When Michael was 15, he meet Hanna and they began an affair, an affair that consisted of sex and reading. Michael would read to Hanna and then they would make love. They did this for a summer and then Hanna left. A few years later, Michael was in law school and was witnessing a trial, a trial that involved Hanna. We learn things about her past through this trial. One thing that I absolutely love about this film, is the acting. The acting is so unbelievably great, especially on Winslet's part, who I believe is one of the greatest actresses Hollywood has ever seen. She delivers such a deeply raw performance, we as the audience feel everything she feels, the same goes for Fiennes and Kross. I just want to give special recognition to Kross, because I absolutely adored him here! Even as a young actor, he gives a very skilled performance. I also liked the writing, it's very well done. I like that, through the writing, we get to know these characters. Overall, it's a very intelligent film and it's recommended

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ccman2
2008/12/15

While this movie seems odd because the plot occurred in 3 different stages, it's really well done. It takes all of the social taboo's of the 1900's along with the cultural affects from World War II and pieces them all together in this awesome film with the character of Michael who had an affair with Hannah, a woman nearly twice his age as a young teenager and while we may forget things like that as a teenager, she's thrown right back in his life some years later as a college law student who he must defend her while she's on trial for her actions partaken with the German Nazi regime efforts. This movie is intense, exciting, and arousing in a very original plot. This movie really gives a perspective of how detrimental the consequences of life decisions can be.

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NoPantsBatman
2008/12/16

The director Stephen Daldry brings to life The Reader, a romance between a teenage boy, Michael Berg (David Kross), and an older woman, Kate Winslet (Hanna Schmitz). It's filled with hard emotions, love, drama and a touch of sexuality.The story goes along the years 1965 and 1995, where Michael is played by two actors, David Kross as young Michael and Ralph Fiennes and adult Michael. In these 124 minutes, we get to see the first love of young Michael, the difficulties a teenager goes through when dealing and understanding someone from the opposite sex, especially an older woman. We also get to see the enthusiasm, anxiety and passion that this first love makes him feel, like nothing else in the world mattered, only her.I went through a roller coaster of emotions throughout the movie. I felt in love, devastated, afraid, pity. A lot of things (good, but mostly bad) happened between Michael and Hanna during the years, but, somehow, a little flame of love and caring remained untouchable, even if they did not show it to one another. In a way, it made me feel like I was watching a fairy tale surrounded by a horrifying reality, waiting to see prince charming saving the damsel in distress.The music throughout the movie was on point. Right moment, right time, right tune and right tone. Really helped intensify the emotions I was feeling, as well as guide them on the correct path.A captivating love story, kept me glued to the screen from start to finish, with a lot of details to enjoy and feelings to feel. A great work, a great watch, a great time. 8 out of 10.

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Dave
2008/12/17

This grossly overrated and dull film is awful. Very few women in their thirties choose to have sex with 15-year-old boys. Why didn't the writers make Michael a few years older, to make the relationship believable?Why was Kate Winslet given a makeunder to make her so plain? Why did the writers give her a cold, aloof, unlikeable personality? Why would Michael be attracted to someone like that? She should have been beautiful, seductive, romantic, warm, loving, caring etc. - so that the audience would like her and believe the attraction that Michael has for her.The trial is stupid. The idea that Hanna would rather serve a much longer sentence because she's too ashamed to admit that, at the time of the crime, she was illiterate - is ridiculous. No matter how much shame there was to being unable to read, it was tiny in comparison to being a mass murderer. In any case, it would still have clearly been a mass murder of civilians even if you couldn't read, so she's still guilty. The film doesn't show any of the mass murder in question, which is yet another deficiency the film has.

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