This is a very sad story. Not a tears-sad story as I didn’t shred a tear; but I’m still very sad, I’m still thinking about the movie and I’ve been trying to do things to overcome the sadness. It’s impossible to not know what the movie is about as this is another movie that had an impressive marketing effort and most know that is the story of a young woman that one summer has an affair with a very young boy and that’s exactly what this movie is about. But the story has many layers and is definitively intense, smart and complex.The power of the movie relies in the great performances by actors but also in a director, Stephen Daldry, that constructed the movie in such an interesting and powerful way, from the affair with many nude scenes that made me think that not many films allow themselves to portrait real life (we are nude in our houses especially when we live alone and make love) to the pain and shame in the trial until the end of Hanna days and the final liberation of Michael. Very nice! But definitively extraordinary editing allowed crisscrossing time so effectively that is absolutely remarkable.
Definitively looks and feels like excellent European cinema with superb cinematography, well above production values and remarkable performances. Before watching the movie I imagined that Kate Winslet had no supporting role (remember the Golden Globes?) but now I can tell you that she has a lead role quite different from Revolutionary Road and now I understand why she was nominated for this movie and not the other as here she’s impressive, remarkable, unforgettable, touching and her character plus her performance makes you feel all sort of contradictory emotions. But also young Michael performed by David Kross is totally credible and is amazing the sensual/sexual chemistry that both have in the screen.
I was most pleasantly surprised by the small but intense performance by Lena Olin, but then for me is always a true pleasure to watch her on the big screen and the same goes to Ralph Fiennes. Daldry’s three multiple Oscar nominated movies (Billy Elliot, The Hours and The Reader) have great casts, but I tend to believe that definitively The Reader has the best thespians as an ensemble.
As we all know by now the movie has 5 nominations for the Oscars, including best picture and best actress for Kate Winslet. I still have to see Rachel Getting Married and should wait until I see it to give my Oscar; but until this moment Kate Winslet has my Oscar for Best Actress. You can browse the blog for the many honors this movie has, including Kate Winslet winning the Golden Globe for her “supporting” role in this movie.
Definitively a must be seen movie that surely will please more adult audiences than younger and one that I do recommend to women around the world, as to me is one of the saddest woman stories (even if some may say that is a man story, but not me) I have seen lately that could make you think a lot. But if you cannot deal with a sad movie I suggest you find the right moment to watch the movie.
The movie has not been getting good reviews from critics’ with about half liking the movie and the other half not; so there are chances that some of you readers will like it and some will not. I did like the movie, was impressed by actors performances, beautiful cinematography and excellent production values, but have to admit that is not your regular American cinema drama, this is more similar to excellent European cinema.
Enjoy!!!
Still have not seen it. I think I will have to be in the right mood..
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about you when I wrote the sentence... but, please find the right mood and watch it then as is a must be seen!
ReplyDeleteok, I will keep you posted ! :)
ReplyDeleteCome on! is not that melodramatic! It's tough but not that horribly sad!! There are much more sad films out there (especially in European films, let's give a sample: the last 5 minutes of Dancer in the dark... that's SAD).
ReplyDeleteBut in any case, this film, from my point of view, is the best of this year. I'd say that is not a masterpiece but without any doubt the best one this year. I'm very agreed with: the film "looks and feels like excellent European cinema"... without any doubt! It has the softness of an European film... the cinematography, the color, the dialogues and the soft way that the story is told...
I don't know why so many people (and you) like the performance of Lena Olin... I didn't like her here... in fact I didn't like her at all. I thought she wasn't fluent in her dialogue... maybe I'm wrong but I personally didn't buy his scene.
But the greatest was the kid. He did a great performance! Hard to believe that it was his first big screen performance!
I wouldn't expect less from such a director! although I have to say that I like a tiny bit more Billy Elliiot.
Yeah I know what you mean... but as always it depends on what you see, isn't? As I commented what I saw in this movie somewhere else, I'm going to include also my comment here, that hopefully will clarify why the movie is sad for me.
ReplyDeleteDefinitively this is a WWII story, seen from the perpetrator point-of-view and as far as I remember, there are not many movies that give us that pov (but, I haven’t seen that many war movies, so I’m probably wrong).
Also, as far as I understand this is a story about how after the war Germans were able to cope with what all they knew was happening and no one acknowledged, did something about it (because they couldn’t?) and after the war tried to bury and/or erase from their memories to continue with their life. And in this sense, is also about how younger generations were dealing with what their fathers/elders did or didn’t do.
Then also is a story of a man that because of what he lived one summer and what he learned years after, his personal life was “destroyed” and became unable to have personal relations with women, but also with everybody else. That’s why he’s trying to “save/rescue” the relationship with his daughter.
But you know me… I saw a very sad story about a woman and (of course) I definitively extrapolated out of the war context (as I hate to be literal with war movies) and this is more or less what I saw.
There was a young illiterate woman (couldn’t read or write) that saw a new job opportunity (to earn more money? Or to run from a promotion that will uncover her illiteracy?) and decided to take it. Unfortunately became a prison guard, which only means that she learned to follow orders without questioning them. During the time she served she saw awful things done that had to touch her, but she totally believed was doing her job to the best she could. The job ended and as probably happened to many Germans, she “erased” her past to be able to continue with her life. But somehow she was unable to cope with her past and with the “shame” of being illiterate, as she was a lonely, sad woman with only one positive thing in her inner self, she liked to learn and that’s why she asked others to read to her.
For one summer she met a young boy (that recalled her of what she did while she was a prison guard where she “helped” sick children/teens) and helped him. I’m not sure if it happened, but I assumed that what she did with the boy probably she also did with her male prisoners…that’s why it was so easy for her to go to the next level and by the way assure company and a reader.
At this point, I have no idea why she left the apartment… perhaps a better job? Perhaps avoiding getting more involved with the boy? … remember how unsure she was about relationships outside her room? Hopefully the book will tell more. Anyway, she is brought to trial, where the saddest things of all happen: she chooses to keep her secret instead of her freedom, “saving” her life or assume responsibility about something she could have easily turn if she was not that ashamed.
Even if we do not really see what happens to her in prison, I got one new thing she was feeling… guilt. So this woman life goes from feeling awfully ashamed to learn to read and write only to find what she “really” did and ends up full of guilt that the man in their brief conversation totally brings out and ends up killing herself. What a sad awful life and one that (to me) exemplifies what ignorance does to people. In the end this was a very sad story about an ignorant woman that didn’t had –or provoked- opportunities to overcome her ignorance even when she was knowledge hungry and this is the worst kind of ignorance that I could think of. I know a few people that their lives was, are, and will be like this, especially women in societies that teach them to not question much, as that’s the way things have to be.
But now that I read what you wrote, I realize that this complex story/movie could stimulate viewers to see whatever they want to see and easily the first reading could be the awful WWII circumstances and its consequences in “regular” population after the war was over. In this sense it’s not easy to “feel” for perpetrators (women or men) as we are “taught” by current cultural values about what is right or wrong and allowing us out of that frame is not easy.
WOW... Where did you post this?
ReplyDeleteI assume that movies touch people in different ways.
I don't know why (and not intend to know) this movie has touched you sooooo deeply. I don't buy that the reasons why you liked it that much is what you have expressed in your comment although all your points are valid, but I think that to be touch in such a way there must be a deeper reason why you liked. I'm glad you enjoyed it... (well, I don't know why I'm glad, but I am).
Im not sure if you really didn't get why she left her job... Remember that she was promoted and had to make a report to get the promotion?... After that she runs away as, I guess, she didn't want to... well, you know the rest.
There are many movies that touch me in my personal life, but honestly this one is not one of many. As a matter of fact I believe that I was able to enjoy the movie because I was "very objective" with everything I was watching. You're right there are no reasons why I enjoyed the movie, only comments about why I found the movie sad.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the movie because the complete cinematic experience, not many movies give me a complete experiece, but this is one.