Blu-ray Movie Reviews

"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. Hanna is enthralled as Michael reads to her from "The Odyssey," "Huck Finn" and "The Lady with the Little Dog." Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken. Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna back in his life - this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna's past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives.

A superb drama about moral choices and love affairs. The Reader takes a look at a woman who was once a SS guard and later brings a young German boy to manhood then later stands trial for her role in the Holocaust with the boy in attendance. This film brings up a different viewpoint to the events and reminds us that there are always two sides to any story. Thought provoking dramas of this nature are a rare treat.

Genius delivers an outstanding video transfer for this one on Blu-ray. I was really impressed with the level of dimension on display and fine detail was breathtaking at times. The image has a very natural look to it and the German countryside provides a marvelous backdrop of detail and color. Rich contrast gives the image plenty of depth and the imagery provides a great balance of fine object detail and sharp imagery. An outstanding transfer.

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and despite the genre I found the soundtrack to be quite moving and perfectly orchestrated. The score does a phenomenal job of keeping the tone of the film going and seems to float in the main soundstage. Nuance is a big part of the mix and the subtle imaging across the main soundstage is excellent along with the very natural timbre of the dialogue. Surrounds add to the spatial design with subtle ambiance and an occasional directional cue.

Extras revolve mainly around the film’s production and bringing the book to the screen. There is a great feature on the make-up effects used to age Winslet, which were some of the best I’ve seen on film. Some deleted scenes and the trailer were also included.

This film was a very powerful drama with outstanding performances from the entire cast. Easily one of the best dramas of last year. With a presentation as solid as this, The Reader gets my highest recommendation.