Friday Flicks • The Reader (2008)

Posted in: Cinema

"The Reader" is not a safe film. It is this lack of safety that gives "The Reader" it's authentic aura, and it is the sweepingly majestic performance of Kate Winslet that gives it its unflinching power. Based upon a German novel by Bernhard Schlink, "The Reader" follows the story of Hannah (Kate Winslet) through the eyes of Michael Berg, portrayed by Ralph Fiennes when he's older and David Kross when he's a mere teenager. The story begins when 15-year-old Michael gets ill and is helped by the then 30ish Hannah. Before long, the two enter into a "forbidden" affair that becomes both intellectually and sexually stimulating. and its characters. Michael, only just discovering his sexuality, exudes a comfortable sexuality while Hannah slowly peels away her layers and, bit by bit, exhibits a warmth to his affections. Then, she leaves. Michael is ill-prepared to handle this abandonment and over the next several years he becomes a shell of his former self. Several years later, he is at law school when he again encounters Hannah during a Frankfurt war crimes tribunal where he learns the secrets of her past. Presented by Riverside Saginaw Film Festival & the Public Libraries of Saginaw, All films are shown at Butman-Fish Library, 1716 Hancock St at 2 PM. Free Admission. Coffee & Cookies provided.