“The Reader” is a Kate Winslet movie that I hadn’t seen; surprisingly, as she won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The movie, based on a book of the same title, seems to be right up Winslet’s alley and plays to her strengths in a compelling way.

The plot follows a German bloke called Michael, played by David Kross as a believable 15-year-old and Ralph Fiennes as his older counterpart. Young lad Michael meets Hanna (Kate Winslet) and the two begin a passionate, albeit very age-inappropriate, love affair a decade after WWII ends. Hanna suddenly disappears, leaving Michael heartbroken. Ten years later, while studying as a law student, Michael accidentally sits in on a court case where Hanna is being tried for war crimes while she was an SS guard during WWII. The rest of the film explores the effect of Hanna’s actions (both in seducing a teenager and as an SS guard) on Michael.

Cinematography-wise, the film is clean and concise. The forbidden love story of the first act is filmed romantically and sensually, with warm colour palettes and soft focus. The stark colours of the second half of the movie suggest to the audience a “waking from a dream” phase – Michael is rudely brought back to reality and must deal with the consequences for the rest of his life.

The film tackles some heavy subjects – sex with underage teenagers, the political climate of post WWII Germany and the consequences of actions and taking responsibility for them. However, the script seems to swing between exploring these in a nuanced way to hitting the audience over the head with them. The contents of the trial were interesting, but Hanna’s actual defence was plain. Act 3 slows down even further, finishing in, what I felt, was a rather anti-climactic, trite fashion.

Kate Winslet was fantastic in her role, no doubt. If nothing else, watch this film for her remarkable acting.