Sunday, May 31, 2009  The Reader  It is hard to say if this
movie is a coming of age story, a soft core porn flick or a a
crime drama. The truth is it's a little of each. The movie opens
in 1955 Berlin with a 15 year-old Michael Berg (David Kross)
throwing up and being helped home by 36 year-old Hanna Schmitz
(Kate Winslet). He is diagnosed with scarlet fever and spends
the next few months in bed recovering. When he goes back to
thank Hanna for her help, they begin an affair that lasts the
summer, then she abruptly leaves him. Eight years later Berg
attends a Nazi trial as part of a law school seminar where Hanna
is accused of being a SS guard responsible for the deaths of
over 300 Jews. As the trail plays out Berg realizes he has
information that could influence the outcome, but refuses to
reveal it. The story continues with the adult Berg's (Ralph
Fiennes) relationship with Hanna and how it effects his life
moving forward.  Many people were very surprised that Kate
Winslet did not win the Academy award for