THE READER
CAROLINE: “The Reader,” starring Golden Globe winner Kate Winslet is one of the great films of 2008. The only shame of her Golden Globe win is that she was actually the leading actress of this film, and that’s the category she should have been nominated in. It’s a little silly.
RYAN: Well, she also won for Best Actress for a “Revolutionary Road.” So at least this way, she got to win both.
CAROLINE: True, and that’s great. It’s just weird when you see “The Reader” because she’s totally the star of the film… but I digress. She’s absolutely phenomenal in this movie. I didn’t read the book that it’s based on and I’m really glad of it, because that way I didn’t know about some of the film’s surprises.
RYAN: I didn’t love this movie like you did, mainly because I’m so tired of movies about the Holocaust and Nazism. The topic upsets me so much that it’s hard for me to care about them. I almost go numb, which is a shame because this is a very emotional story and her character is one that you’re torn about feeling sympathy for.
CAROLINE: Only the second half of the film deals with Nazism, so the first hour is really just a love story. Then the second half is more of a post-Holocaust movie than Holocaust movie. It’s not horrific like “Schindler’s List” or anything.
RYAN: A couple minutes go there. But I loved the first half of the movie. The boy who plays Kate Winslet’s young lover is cute/hot. I wasn’t prepared for how many love scenes there were going to be! But they’re very sexy and tastefully done.
CAROLINE: David Kross plays the kid and he’s amazing. He had very little acting experience before this role, but he could get an Oscar nomination as far as I’m concerned. He totally held his own against Kate and I loved their May-December relationship.
RYAN: He plays the young version of Ralph Fiennes.
CAROLINE: Ralph doesn’t even have that big a part. He’s only in a few scenes.
RYAN: It was interesting to see him in this role since he played the big Nazi in “Schindler’s List.” He’s on the other side in this movie. He’s such a brilliant Voldemort. I mean, actor.
CAROLINE: [laughs’ Yes, we know you love him in the Harry Potter movies. There are just so many things to love about “The Reader.” It’s so well made and brilliantly acted. The story is touching and moving and intense. I almost don’t want to say too much about it because I think the less you know going in, the better. There are a lot of discoveries to be made in the film and it’s nice to make them on your own.
RYAN: It’s very well written and well directed and the score is excellent. I thought it was a little long at one point, but then it got really riveting so I didn’t mind. I can’t say anything bad about it really; I’m just over movies about or pertaining to the Holocaust.
CAROLINE: Interestingly, when they started filming the movie, the young German boy, who, by the by, learned English for this role, was only 16; so they had to film the non-sexual parts of the movie and then wait till he turned 18 to film all the love scenes.
RYAN: I bet he couldn’t wait.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: This is a mature film for adults; very serious, so if you get antsy easily, this movie could bore you. It’s painful and emotional at times, but the courtroom scenes are great. You’ll definitely walk out of the theater wanting to talk about it.
CAROLINE: Kate Winslet’s performance is just phenomenal. She ages many years over the course of the film and her makeup is great. In this role, she’s simultaneously detestable, pathetic, lovely, pitiable and stupid. I really loved this movie. It’s not uplifting, but the plot is so great. It’s a great love story but also a tragic one.
— RATING —
