In an effort to inject a little more culture into my life, I decided to go and see a film nominated for five Academy Awards, 'The Reader'.

The Reader is based upon the 1995 German novel 'Der Vorleser', that funnily enough translates to 'The Reader'. The novel was written by German law professor and judge Bernhard Schlink. Like the film, the novel also won quite a few awards, but perhaps it's greatest honour was being a selection for Oprah's Book Club.

The film adaptation tells the story of German lawyer, Michael Berg, and the impact his first real 'adult' relationship has had on his life. Michael's story is told through a series of flashbacks. The film opens in Berlin, in 1995, as Michael (played by Ralph Fiennes) prepares breakfast for a woman that has obviously spent the night. On her way out the door, the woman laments Michael's inability to allow her to get close to him, wondering if he was like that with all the women in his life. As Michael watches a train go by, we are taken back to 1958.

Young Michael (played by David Kross) gets off a train/tram, and is helped home by a female tram conductor. After spending a couple of months recovering from Scarlet Fever, Michael tracks down the woman that helped him in order to thank her... and so begins the affair.

It's the sort of affair where the couple very rarely step out in public. It's also the sort of affair where it takes a couple of meetings before the two parties exchange names, the woman's name is Hanna Schmitz (played by Kate Winslet). This is the type of affair where Kate Winslet has her boobs out 95% of the time. In between rolls in the hay, Hanna insists that Michael read her books that he's studying at school. Hanna is, at times, portrayed as the domineering sexual aggressor. The relationship is hard to sugar coat - essentially it's a 15 year old boy getting it on with a woman more than twice his age.

When Hanna earns a promotion to a clerical position at the tram company, she suddenly disappears.

The story then moves to 1966. Michael is now in his early 20's and study law at University. He joins a special class, run by a professor who was a concentration camp survivor. Michael's class is taken to observe the trial of six women, former SS guards, accused of leaving 300 woman dies in a burning church, following the 1944 evacuation of Auschwitz. Michael is shocked when he sees Hanna seated in court, as one of the defendants. Michael hears testimony from survivors to say that Hanna was one of the guards responsible for deciding who would be sent to their deaths, and that she also selected prisoners to read to her at night.

As the trial unfolds, Hanna's testimony contradicts that of her co-accused. She admits her involvement, and acknowledges that she knew what she was involved in. Hanna's five co-accused claim that Hanna was in charge, and was the leader of the group, and the author of a report on the incident. Hanna denies that she was the author, but changes her testimony when asked to provide a handwriting sample. It's at this point that Michael realises Hanna's other secret, which should come as no surprise to anyone that has paid attention to the movie from the beginning. Hanna is illiterate.

Armed with this information, Michael is torn. Does he reveal what he knows, even though Hanna seems determined to keep it a secret? Ultimately though, Hanna is sentenced to jail.

Eventually, Michael's story catches up with the present. His life goes on... sort of. He marries, has a daughter, and divorces. He is haunted by Hanna, both by the Hanna he remembers from the time of the affair, and Hanna from the trial. As the years roll by Michael's relationship with Hanna changes. It's clear though that this is not a story that'll have a happy ending.

The Reader is a strange film, it's one part coming of age saga, one part court room drama and one part Lolita-esque 'love' story. It's also one of those films that leaves you full of conflict. As a movie it's never black and white, pointing instead to the grey area that appears to be morality. There's a lot of philosophical fodder for the debate between morality and the law.

Then again, maybe I'm over analysing it. Maybe it is just a movie about a Nazi war criminal who is implicit in the murder of 300 innocent people, who goes on to molest a 15 year old boy, and then pays for her crimes?

Aging characters in a film is always a difficult thing - Drew Barrymore in "Riding in Cars with Boys" anyone? - and The Reader is another example of a film in which the aging process isn't handled all that well. Kate Winslet is excellent as Hanna, and plays the character at three different ages, 36, 44, and mid-late 60's. While she is believable as a 36 year old woman, and even at 44, it's difficult to see her as a woman in her 60's, no matter how much makeup is caked on. In that respect I found the old age Hanna distracting. There was a similar issue with the role of Michael, with David Kross as Michael at age 15 and 23, and Ralph Fiennes playing Michael at age 35 onward. The problem being that David Kross and Ralph Fiennes don't really look all that similar, and unless Michael has facial surgery in the years between 23 and his mid thirties, it seemed odd. Then there is the survivor of the concentration camp and her daughter. Lena Olin plays the mother, and then in the present day plays the daughter. It's like they had to save money on budget so they just cast the one actor to play two roles. Geez, that was a long way of saying the casting was a little problematic.

The Reader is a dark and gloomy film, in no way an uplifting film going experience. That's not to say that it is not a good film though, just don't be expecting sweetness and light. It'll stick with you long after the credits roll.

Overall, I'd give The Reader 3.5 out of 5.