Quickcard Review The Reader
Directed by: Stephen Daldry Cast: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Hannah Herzsprung Running Time: 2 hrs, 2 mins Rating: R
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Plot: After World Ward II, a young man (Kross) has an affair with a quiet woman (Winslet), but when their paths cross again later in life, he must watch her go through a trial for horrific crimes.
Who’s It For?: Well, it actually is quite sexual. And if you have teenager/older woman fantasies, you'll want to step in line for this film as well. Plus, it's another film that touches on World War II, though it deals with the aftermath.
OVERALL
Complete double standard. A 15-year-old boy can have an affair and no one will be appalled. The surprising thing here is that it's a great connection and one you want to see more of between Michael and Hanna (Kross and Hanna) and not just because Winslet is naked for many scenes. I found I was desperate to know more of who she was and how this would turn awful for the young boy.
But then Fiennes keeps showing up. Man, he can really be a buzz kill sometimes. At first, he seems to serve no purpose in the film at all. It simply makes no sense to occasionally put him in the first half of the film.
And with Hanna being a proud woman, she hides her problem from Michael and the rest of society. This really comes to bite her in the ass when she's on trial for being an SS guard for Germany during WWII. Pride is one thing, but for both Hanna and Michael not to say a thing to clear her of being a leader instead of an accomplice is just baffling.
Final Score: 6/10