The Reader

(The Weinstein Company)

Starring: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes

This drama jumps back and forth between the present and an affair that took place roughly 40 years before. Michael (David Kross), a German teen, has a romance with Hanna (Winslet), a mysterious older woman. She abruptly leaves town, and Michael only sees her years later when she is on trial as a Nazi war criminal. Though Michael’s undying love for Hanna provides the lens, the film’s true focus is the Third Reich’s lingering affect on Germany. Superbly cast and crafted, this is not a movie for casual viewing.