Beaks here...

"The big problem with this movie is David Hare's script."

That'd be a first. But if "dense" and "heady" qualifies as a "problem", then I think I know what our reviewer means. Hare's been making his name on "dense" and "heady" since PLENTY debuted at the Lyttleton Theatre in 1978. He's a brilliant dramatist.

And he's not too shabby as a screenwriter either! Even though Philip Glass's monotonous score for THE HOURS gave me a migraine, Hare's script was still good enough to help the film pick up nine Academy Award nominations. Hoping to replicate that success (if not surpass it), producer Scott Rudin has reunited Hare and director Stephen Daldry for THE READER. The production did hit a minor snag when Nicole Kidman was forced to drop out of the lead role due to pregnancy, but this actually allowed Rudin and Daldry to re-offer the part to their first choice: Kate Winslet. Good move.

We know our (very articulate) reviewer has a problem with Hare, but how does the rest of the film work? Let's find out!

Hey Moriarty,

I caught an advance screening of THE READER at the AMC Lincoln Square last night. The film was directed by Stephen Daldry (of BILLY ELLIOT and THE HOURS fame) and is based on the novel by Bernard Schlink (which I've never read). Although I know this is in the early stages and wish I could say great things about it (because I love Daldry & Kate Winslet), I can't say that I completely got the film or REALLY understood what it's all about.

Winslet (always amazing) plays a woman in WWII Germany by the name of Hanna who has an affair with Michael, a MUCH younger man played by David Kross (It looks like this is his first American film, and he almost steals the movie). Ralph Fiennes, playing the older Michael, unexpectedly crosses paths with Hanna years later after they have lost touch. Michael never really gets over his first love, even when she disappears without a trace. No spoilers here (I promise), because there's a big one – and when it comes, it's devastating.

Daldry's direction is solid. The film looks beautiful with exact period detail, from the sets to the costumes, and lush cinematography. And, as expected, Daldry got great performances from his leads: the aforementioned Kross, the always captivating Winslet (OK, one tiny dig: Winslet's makeup was horrendous, and at times distracting), and the handsome Fiennes, who's never given a bad performance (well, except maybe in STRANGE DAYS). (Beaks note: No, he was great there, too!)

The big problem with this movie is David Hare's script. There are some effective scenes, most notably Hanna's seduction of the young Michael and on the other end of the spectrum, the intense scenes of the Nazi trials. But the story is dense and heady and may be too smart for its own good. Like in THE HOURS, Hare's script jumps back and forth between multiple time periods, but unlike that film, this requires some serious concentration to follow the story. When I fell behind, I got lost and had no idea what was going on. In the end, I don't know what the story was trying to say: is it about forgiveness and assuaging guilt? Is the story really trying to make an argument for forgiving Nazis? I can't imagine that's the real point of THE READER, but I did get that impression from Hare's script. As a result, the fast-paced editing made me dizzy. I left the theater thinking that Daldry and Hare need to figure what their story is really about, because it left me really confused (and I know I wasn't the only one).

It's a bit disappointing that I felt this way because I'm such a big fan of Daldry's and I loved THE HOURS. Daldry makes it compelling to watch, but I think there is plenty more to do before this film is released (we were told this was the first screening). I'll be interested to see what the final product is (although I don't know how they will fix Winslet's horrible makeup). Fingers crossed because this has too many talented filmmakers and great performers to get overlooked.

On a somber note, THE READER will be one of the last offerings from Mirage Enterprises, the production company formed by Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack. It looks like Kenneth Lonergan's long-delayed MARGARET will be the very last Mirage release. God, I hope that's a triumphant sendoff to these two great artists.

THE READER opens December 12, 2008.