The Reader (2008)

Couldn't wait to see this and wasn't disappointed. Kate Winslet is truly a remarkable actress. Incredible story and acting. The young boy was amazing, and add a little of Ralph what more could you ask for. Highly recommend

This was a deeply moving story. More than I expected. Kate winslet definitely deserved an award for this performance.

Loved this movie, so thought provoking. Quite sad really at the end, but worth watching.

A wonderful film, engaging at many levels. It's about life, love, guilt and innocence. It really makes you think (if you have even half a brain). What would you do if someone you loved turned out to be a war criminal? What is the penalty for not acting to prevent injustice? And what should the penalty be? Who is more guilty, the person who is following orders or the bystanders who look the other way and won't interfere? These questions of guilt and responsibility and the effect that they have on people's lives resonate long after the end of the film. Haunting. A must-see.

Excellent movie. Loved Kate WInslet and the actor who played the young man was fantastic. Very sad and poignant film, which I thought about for much of the following day. It haunted me.

very good story and very sensual

Excellent movie

very enjoyable movie highly recommended

Excellent and touching depiction of a sexual relationship between an older woman and a teenager, but when the movie moves into the legal/political dimension its argument gets murky.

What a story! I was thoroughly rapt in it all.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this movie, but I really enjoyed it. It was a movie that really left it up to the audience to form an opinion on a controversial subject. The cast was great and the prosthetics on Kate Winslet were awesome (watch the special features - Winslet is really funny!)

What a great story. Kate Winslet was especially good in this role. Her character, accent, manner, everything was spot on and beautifully shot. Really believeable. I loved this film and highly recommend it.

Also enjoyed this one but there again it was different to what i normally watch

The central premises of the film are guilt, truth and justice. Who is guilty? What is truth? How is justice served? Like many young Germans born after the end of the war, Michael (David Kross) grows up unaware of the older generation's war involvement. It is not talked about. Only later, during his law studies, one of his fellow students asks the crucial question of their lecturer (Bruno Ganz): How could you not know about the camps? Why didn't you do anything? Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet), Michael's older first love, lives with her guilty conscience until the trial, when she is made the scapegoat by her fellow camp guards who get off with lighter sentences. Hanna's atonement lies in taking on their collective guilt by serving a 20-year prison sentence. Only Michael realises that she, illiterate, cannot have written the report cited in evidence against her. But he, too, is silent, respecting her choice or out of cowardice. The silence invades his later life (Ralph Fiennes): his marriage doesn't last, introspection and loneliness are his companions – his atonement for the sins of the fathers. This irrational sense of guilt in the post-war generation is clearly expressed by the set designer in the extra DVD feature. She emigrated to Mexico to escape a Germany that couldn't face its own shadow. "When will they ever learn?" A thoughtful film that reverberates long after viewing.

I really enjoyed, despite the conflict it made me feel. Kudos to the writer & director who make a very difficult subject so enjoyable to watch. Kate Winslet is amazing as always, and the young German actor was faultless. Highly recommend.

Slow start made more sense as film progress. Not just another Nazi film. Enjoyed the complexity portrayed.

Good storyline but a little slow.

What a fantastic movie, thoroughly enjoyed it, so glad I found the time to watch this one.

Excellent film, well worth watching, grabbed your attention from the start, great performances, especially from the person playing the younger version of the lead actor

this is a great movie we all loved it

Engrosing, thought provoking movie. "What would you have done?"

slightly boring

Up there with one of the best, most enjoyable movies I have ever watched......I REALLY enjoyed this flick....Well acted, great story line...that leaves you feeling like you have been on an intimate journey.....5 stars.

Boring, dragged out. Don't waste your time.

Didn't think much of this one

was expecting more but still a worthwhile flick to watch.

Kate is gorgeous but she doesn't really make good choices in movies!

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it if you haven't seen it.

This film is good and the book is just as good. Makes you think about guilt, responsibility, loyalty and pride. OK, the young actor David Kross looks nothing like Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet loves to get her kit off but then again, I am not complaining. They age her well. This is a film to watch and it is in English, so you don't have to read the subtitles. No war flashbacks which is nice.

Intriguing, well acted, filmed etc.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film

A strange movie. Not until the last half hour do you reallkyt get it.

Well acted, tense and thought provoking.

Movie was quite enjoyable until a little over the hour mark the DVD had a problem . This took the edge off it.

I found the reader to be very enjoyable. I'm s Kate Winslet fan

Another great acting role from Kate Winslett. What a twist, and one that left me feeling very uneasy. Really enjoyed this movie and one I would definitely recommend.

Beautiful filmbut oh so sad. Cried at the end!

Meh! Worth watching, but not worth all the hype. It's a sad film; a story of injustice, hatred and shame, and not much in the way of true love. I enjoyed seeing the "other side" of the Nazis, but was sad at the lengths "normal" people need to go to to hide their secret shame.

The start ruined it, an adult having an affair with a 15yo child is wrong and we could not enjoy that part at all. We fast forward all that rubbish. The rest of the movie was captivating. But the start really ruined it.

To say I 'enjoyed' this movie would be 'incorrect' it intrigued and captivated me completely, it is certainly a beautiful, deep story of first young love but as it progresses it is so much more than that. brilliant acting by all main characters, you have to concentrate as it protrays three different stages of the couples lives. I found the nudity detracted from the story instead of enhanced it and felt so much of it wasn't necessary. A different look at the Nazi portral of the holocost and the type of story that stays with you long after the film has ended. A deep, touching movie with a sad shock ending.

not sure how i flet with this one story ok good acting, would proberbly watch again in the future

This was great, kept me interested for the whole movie.

a most unusual film. held my interest long after it was finished

wonderful movie. bit of a tear jerker. well worth watching

An outstanding movie. It forces the viewer to try and reconcile feelings of sympathy, attraction and repulsion. A very strong story, well played and well filmed. The Extras are excellent too, for insights such as the care given to authenticity over five decades, the effort that goes into fitting music to the film, and the amazing ageing process on Kate Winslet.

I found this to be a most moving story, handled with restraint, delicacy and insight. There was a finely balanced tension of opposites, paradoxes and counterpoints- all of which seemed to span real human behaviours and motivations. The acting was sensational, sensitive and believable. I highly recommend it.

A woman with a mysterious past has a short relationship with a young student who is haunted for the rest of his life. A different approach to Holocaust story which poses difficult moral questions about the past and our response to them through contemporary eyes. Kate Winslet is excellent in the key role in that she creates a complex character full of ambiguities. 3.5 stars

This movie is very thought provoking. Kate Winslet was great as usual. Yes the movie seemed to be slow to start but once you were in and if you followed it closely you could understand her role and how wrongfully accused she was What a weak person the "kid" turned out to be !! What he did to her was really disgusting irrespective of the role she played in the holocaust - illeteracy should have some bearing on the events played by her. Gives a whole other side to the holocaust. As I said very thought provoking!

Started slow and I was expecting a predictable Kate Winslet love story, then the came the twist and all of a sudden you are watching a film that is so thought provoking and completely unexpected that it kept you thinking well after the movie concluded. Excellent ...highly recommended

Great movie. Kept me watching the whole time. Best movie I've seen for a while. Highly recommended for those who like a good story.

An interesting spin on a holocaust story. I really enjoyed this film.

Loved it. Unusual and thought provoking. Kate Winslet is fantastic.

Enjoyed this movie. Made me think of another side of the houlocaust.

One of the saddest movies I've seen for quite some time. Great performances by everyone.

The acting was superb. The storyline had heaps of potential but never really delivered. I was glued to the screen always looking for, and hoping for, something good to come out of the relationship. But I only experienced disappointment and frustration. It commenced with about 15 minutes of gratuitious sex. Surely we got the message after the first few scenes. Some background story would have been more helpful. It is hard to believe that it was left to female non-professional guards to decide who to send to the gas chamber. Even harder to believe that the story's heroine would rather spend her life in prison than reveal that she was illiterate. The reader of the books was willing to sacrifice huge amounts of time, money and resources reading books on cassette for his ex lover in prison, but was not willing to provide her with any hope or assistance when she left prison. This change in attitude did not add up. The film showed humanity at its worst and missed a great opportunity to show the power of the human spirit to pick itself up from the gutter of life, and at the same time demonstrate the great power of love and forgiveness. I could not help feeling deflated by the miserable finish. Worth watching? Yes definitely - if only for the splendid acting and great directing.

Deep and thought-provoking, sensitive depiction of the "passive" mindset in Ralph's generation as well in Kate's.

Quite a good movie,very sad and worth getting.

Didnt like this one at all, very slow, found the story hard to follow and found the ending didnt answer any questins and had no point to it. Dont bother!

One of the classiest movies I have seen in a long time. Kate Winslet looking old, ordinary and thoroughly compelling. Team Ralph Fiennes in this movie and you have a winner. A topic that has been worked over before, but not so delicately. If you loved the boy in the striped pyjamas, then I am sure you would enjoy this. This movie was not dismal, it showed light and encourgement,

Great movie, I guess anything with Kate

A thought provoking film that was nicely acted by Kate Winslett; a very determined and at times restrained performance. Led to some interesting discussions here on the issue of paedophilia and exploitation and whether this story would be viewed in a different way if it cast an older male in a physical relationship with a younger girl.

a beautiful movie, held our attention right through , emotional and tender story, guiding a young boy through to adulthood,with a twist to the story near the end, worth a watch

Great period piece! Sad, dark and depressing! Good ending saves it from oblivion!

This movie was odd.. the first 40 mins was all porn.. and the rest just seemed to wander.. Shame they didn't show who the person was that he did marry..

average

Highly recommended - although some of the film was left on the cutting room floor... so who wrote that report?

The start is slightly slow, and you begin to wonder what the relevance of the relationship between "The Kid" and Hanna is, however the film really picks up and then you start to put the pieces together. A thought-provoking film. You will enjoy this if you can appreciate movies that make you think. A well deserved oscar for Kate Winslet. Well done!

was ok but slow, more of a film for the girls i think.

A real food for thought movie. I kept thinking about it for a day or so - what was it really all about? Illiteracy, Holocaust.............. It was a great watch and lingered on in the thoughts. Good watching.

One of the most thought prevoking suspenseful journeys I have ever had watching a film. This movie is an fresh angle to the haulicost. Make sure you watch the special features after the film as they add great insight to the story and make it all the richer. Asks the question: "What if the social norms and acceptable standards of your time are unacceptable to the next generation and how do you resolve what is known as right from what now is right?", but does with such extroadinary subtext (aka the substory) that it isn't any longer a simple question. A journey that many Germans still carry with them today. Excellent suspense, thriller love story that delivers 110%...

This was a really amazing film. I highly recommend watching.

A bit slow at first, then takes a mighty twist. Gripping

Having lived in Vienna at the time the movie is set I can sympathise with and live through this story. The excruciating doubt and pain in some Germans must have been difficult to cope with. So retribution even on the ilitered Hanna (not discovered during the trail)was justified in the eyes of the law. The acting of all, especially Kate Winslet, is rematkable.

A very good movie, although uncomfortable viewing, so never terribly entertaining as you feel a bit dirty watching it. Kate Winslett is great especially as she gets older

Challenge your thinking. Question the way we all judge and how we have such uneducated views on the world somethimes and we dont even realise it until something like come along and smashes everything to pieces.

Superb piece of direction and wonderfully well paced telling by Stephen Daldry. Kate Winslet a deserved winner for her portrayal of the difficult, enigmatic Hannah.

the fact that it was a true story kept me watching

I loved this but it stars off for some of the boring flash forwards. Kate Winslet was great, although probably a little too sophisticated looking to be convincing as a illiterate woman with an evil past. It also makes me want to go out and read the Odyssey by Homer!

Same as the book. It's another lost in translation. Good story but no feeling. This seems to happen a lot with translated scripts.

Excellent movie, great acting by all and very involved plot that is easy to follow. The ending was a bit sad but it can't all be happy endings can it!

A very interesting plot. Superb acting from Winslet and Kross. It makes you reflect on life and the journey that we are on!

Well made film, the story sticks close to the book. The lead characters did a good job in capturing the expression of feelings they were going through. I would have liked to see scenes of Hannah's past - while she was testifying.

This movie is as good as the promo promises. A big slow in the first part but the drama really hits when the secret is revealed. This movie will make you think - and as Hanna asks in the courtroom, "What would you have done?"

Fabulous acting by Kate Winslet, and a definite for surprises. You can't miss this one.

If the "kid" had of intervened at the trial their life may have been different. Once all said and done, she learned something in the end. One of the best movies I have seen. I had to see it twice at different times of the day to make sure I took it all in. Yes, and had the same verdict. One of the best movies I have seen. Excellent.

Walked out of the cinema for a quick smoke half way through The English Patient and the coffee shop across the road suddenly looked more appealing. English Patient refugees the Barista called us, needless to say we could feel Elaines pain in Seinfeld, and we didn't even have to see the whole thing. Luckily I Love Kate Winslet and couldn't see enough of her in this, so there was one redeeming feature. I know her character was hateful so was everyone else.

Kate winslet plays a good role in this film, very enjoyable

Great acting and a good dramatic film. Adapted well.

The book made a huge impact on me, so I was nervous to see the film. But I was really blown away. Outstanding performances and really raises the issues of the post-Nazi generation.

An interesting and thought provoking but sometimes confusing movie, there were areas that could have been explored better and others that went into too great a depth - clearly Hanna's pride made her made poor choices, but couldn't the reason for her pride have been explored for viewer understanding?

Excellent movie. Kate Winslet does her part justice and so does Ralph Fiennes. It sad that such a compassionate person towards the young man in the beginning came out to be so bad when she was a guard during the war. Its a pity that she couldn't or wouldn't tell the court that she couldn't read or write. Maybe she would have been let off and not gone to jail for 20 years. Such a sad ending to a sad life for her. Worth the watch.

Awesome performances from Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. Am not a major fan of either but their performances left me transfixed and in tears - a lovely story which explores the depths of humanity, rather than the factual context of the period. A must see!!!!!!!

A very moving story about a romance between two unlikely people and the effects it has on them later in life when one is on trial for Nazi war crimes.

.Acting was first class. Enjoyed it. Having lived in Germa occupied Europe during the war I find it ubelievable that there was an illiterate German and particularly one recruited in to the elite SS. Also during the trial the other guards were exposed as liars and et the judge gave them credibility for their later testimony. I am nitpciking I know. Just thought I put this down.

An interesting tale of compromised ethics and many moral dilemmas. The university professor poses the age old question to a few of his students about making choices - doing what is legal (or was legal at the time or in war or governed by the circumstance) and doing what is right by adhering to the morals or ethics of humanity (in other words, following unchanging and ageless universal laws or governing principles). It explores the age old problem of the truth and lies. Lies will always remain a part of our future until we bring them into the present where they become a part of our past (unless they die with the person). Kate Winslett again plays a brilliant role. The movie introduces a young German actor David Kross who apparently learnt English to do the part. The high level nudity will not sit well with some people.

First rate performances from the three leads make this an excellent flick. I don't know if it downplays the tragedy of the holocaust by creating feelings of sympathy toward a perpetrator - that might be over-analysing it. It really is a memorable film that is clearly Kate's best work and another superb effort from Ralph Fiennes. He is able to display his enduring pain effortlessly. And it would be neglectful not to mention David Kross, who apparently learnt English for this movie. He really is amazing. It's a must see for the acting alone.

Well acted by Kate Winslet... though too depresing for me.

I found this film profoundly moving. Kate Winslet very deserving of her Oscar win.

Not the best movie I've seen. Slow at times, I also thought that Kate Winslet was not particularly playing well her character when in her old age. She was actually playing the same way the whole movies and it was hard for me to believe her as an old lady and to forget the old lady make-up. And the character played by Fiennes, I wanted to kick his butt and tell him to do what he needed to do. Anyway a nice love story with quite a lot of flashbacks. Not a movie I would like to watch twice really.

I like this movie and thought the performances brilliant. Kate as usual but David Kross equally good. I was left wondering about Hanna , obviously she had no education could not read or write and was so ashamed she could not even disclose this in the trial which may have helped her case. A lot of questioned unanswered..

More questions than answers are raised in this Holocaust guilt puzzler that stars Kate Winslet as Hanna Schmitz, an ex-death-camp guard who simultaneously raises emotions of revulsion and sympathy. Can the poorly educated be excused for acting in evil ways? Is the potential for wicked behaviour as well as failing to act when evil is being done, something everyone shares? The film’s title directs our attention to middle aged Michael Berg (Ralph Fiennes), who as a 15 year old (acted by David Kross) read to Hanna before their love-making. Years later, it is he who shares Hanna’s guilt which he keeps to himself, mostly hiding any outward display of feelings. Clearly though, the story’s focus is on Winslet and her performance is as electrifying as the movie is gloomy.

This is great movie, very well acted by all, especially Kate Winslet