The Reader
Dir: Stephen Daldry
2008
*****
I knew nothing about Stephen Daldry's The Reader before watching and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and rather taken aback by it. It's a very complex story when it comes to the emotional turmoil and uncomfortable human issues involved but it is told so simply that it is absolutely captivating. This is also credit to the actors who were deservedly praised on its release. The young David Kross was probably the most impressive performance in my mind. He was the glue of the film, his performance had to be more physical than Winslet and Fiennes's, two brilliant actors who know that sometimes less is more and one expression can say a thousand words and something they both do brilliantly in this film. Three films down, Stephen Daldry was fast becoming a director you can rely on.