The Reader, our third Best Picture Nominee review. The wit, it does escape me.

Finally.

Finally, I have seen a movie that deserves to be nominated in the category for Best Motion Picture that is actually nominated in the category. It took some reflection and not too many viewings of the trailer to bring me to the point I needed in order to write this column today. My first thought on the film was that I could understand why it was nominated: dark subject matter, edgy relationships, period piece, first rate talent, post Nazi Germany. It fits naturally into the mold that The Academy has set as it's standards in the most recent decades. A natural fit does not necessarily achieve a little golden man, and for the moment I wasn't sold on the idea.

Here then is your brief synopsis brought to you by IMDB.com: THE READER opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna, a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair. Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken.

For those of you who have not read the book, I fear that the above entry already says too much and I can't bring myself to add anymore spoilers. If you need more, they are certainly out there to find. The trailer at the right would be a good place to start.

The movie itself is a flashback of sorts and we do jump around between the years 1958 and 1995 throughout. Each time period is brilliantly displayed. From the rebuilding of Germany in the 1950s to 1995 separated West Berlin and even 1985 New York City. Directing and cinematography are top notch. Director Stephen Daldry had a vision of the world within this screenplay and his crew found a way to breathe life into each setting. Truly, the individual room associated with each phase of life dictates the scene and is a character all it's own. The '50s German country side versus the "free" West Berlin of the '80s and '90s. The desolate, grey interior of a concentration camp in comparison to an antiseptic one bedroom flat. The starkness of a college dorm alongside a decorated jail cell. Brilliant.

Kate Winslett is going to win the Oscar for Best Actress. There I've said it. It's really not a stretch considering she's won the Golden Globe and the SAG. I guess I'm not putting anything out there that you don't already suspect. Her portrayal of a "Strong German Woman", resolute in her duties, staunch, dedicated, unwavering (nearly), is in a word: intense. The transformation she goes through as she ages is an amazing acting job, and not just physically. We see this woman begin to let things in, just a bit. But is it too late? This is the role Winslett needed to push her over the top. Sorry Missus Hathaway and Streep.

The young Michael Berg is played by David Kross. This young man finds a way to show every emotion across the board and play it well. From a 15 year old discovering a secret obsession, anger at perceived selfishness, heartbreak of loss, confusion from abandonment, and the catalyst that spurs the plot brings the impossible choice of loyalty versus duty. You can see how the character changes from start to finish, as he pulls away and withdraws into himself. Trying to protect himself from further injury only to unwittingly do more harm than good. If a way could have been found for Kross to play the character all the way through, there would be no doubt in my mind that he would be nominated for Best Actor.

That job of playing the elder Michael Berg falls to Ralph Fiennes, who for a major portion of the film is given little to do other then project pain and reflection. The final quarter of the film we catch up a bit with Berg and we truly see the impact that this relationship from nearly 30 years earlier has taken on Michael's relation to the people around him. Had not the tragic turn been taken, what sort of a man would he have become. We will never know because Ralph Fiennes is only given a painful version of love to show us. If you have seen The Constant Gardener, then you know that Ralph Fiennes is superbly suited for this role. His face to face scene near the end of "The Reader" is the payoff I needed as we see a subtle change take place, we can only hope it is not too late for Michael.

The Reader was, for me, the story of redemption. Redemption of ones soul, not the one who could never have it back, the one who needed it desperately. I'm giving "The Reader "4 little tea tins out of 5 little tea tins for a well told story that navigates multiple emotional pitfalls. Had this film been based on a true story I believe I would have picked up the book to get all the details. Having been a work of fiction, I get the feeling that I've seen all I really need to enjoy the story. With that, this movie becomes my favorite for an Oscar, but we've still got two more nominees to go.

I'm just saying,

Elijah