The Reader

Impressions before seeing it
Still doing the Oscar 2011 tour, but going back to an Oscar movie from a couple years ago for this one. Mostly just wanted to watch this for Kate Winslet's Oscar winning performance; she is quickly becoming one of the most talented actresses out there.

How was it?
I started off worried because I didn't really like the first part. The development of Hanna (Kate Winslet) and Michael's (David Kross as the young version, Ralph Fiennes playing the older version) relationship felt a little rushed and uneven, and consisted of a lot of sex, reading aloud, and arguments about insecurities. Not to mention the taboo nature of their affair - Michael was 15, Hanna was probably at least 30 - that didn't seem to be an issue, even when Hannah seduced him right away before any "I've fallen in love with you and can't help myself" story could serve as at least some kind of excuse for the pedophilia.

But after all that had passed, The Reader got really, really good. The two go their seperate ways, and Michael grows up and goes to law school. As a student, he observes a court case where one of the defendants turns out to be Hanna, guilty (well, somewhat of a grey area) of a terrible crime, and he realizes something that could absolve her or at least reduce her sentence. But if he tells the court, it would shame her greatly. That's all I'll say without spoiling it, but the last three quarters of the movie and Kate Winslet's performance (she is always fantastic) more than make up for the unfortunate first quarter. Nice save, guys.

Recommendation
Definitely see it if you're a fan of Kate Winslet. Or are interested in historical pieces involving Nazi Germany. But, yeah, I loved it and other than the first act, as I mentioned, it's nearly flawless.