Last night, I finished reading Bernhard Schlink's international bestseller, The Reader. It's about Michael Berg and how his affair with a woman twice his age has altered his life in postwar Germany. It's a beautiful, powerful, and devastating novel filled with passion, guilt, and morals. The last third is especially emotional, playing directly to the reader's heartstrings. I am utterly haunted by Michael and his one-time lover, Hanna Schmitz, and how their lives turn out. I would highly recommend it.I read the novel in anticipation of the new film adaptation directed by Stephen Daldry. I admire Stephen Daldry's work, especially Billy Elliot (he directed both the film and stage versions of the show). It's his work on The Hours, however, that makes me very hopeful about The Reader. The Hours, another haunting and devastating adaptation of a novel, may have won Nicole Kidman an Oscar because of her prosthetic nose, but it also sports a beautiful performance by Julianne Moore (where's her Oscar? Anyone?) and lots of vivid imagery and storytelling.
What makes me even more excited about The Reader is Kate Winslet, one of the greatest actors of our generation. She's a true chameleon, a mini-Meryl. With five Oscar nominations by the time she was 31, she is the youngest person to achieve that status and is climbing her way to be one of the most nominated actresses. However, she has yet to win the elusive naked golden man.
In The Reader, Kate portrays Hanna, a woman on trial for a crime committed in Nazi Germany. She gets to age about 30 years throughout the movie. And we also get to see her naked body yet again, something that Oscar certainly doesn't mind (she was nude onscreen in Titanic, Iris, and Little Children, three of her five nominations). But will this finally be her chance? Will nomination #6 bring her the gold?
Frankly, the only thing I can see stopping her from winning is herself. Kate Winslet has another movie coming out in December that is just as Oscar bait-y. It's a movie called Revolutionary Road, directed by her husband, Sam Mendes, and co-starring her Titanic lover, Leonardo DiCaprio. If people praise both performances, it might lead to vote splitting, and as we all know, an actor can only be nominated once per category. Kate & Co. know this very well, and if they're smart, they'll push Kate for Supporting Actress for The Reader and let her work in Revolutionary Road be considered for the Leading Actress category. Then again, will nominating committees recognize that? Or will they be confused and not know in which category to nominate her? I hope the eggs land in Ms. Winslet's basket. She could be a potential double nominee this year and finally take home the gold. Let's hope it happens. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
See the trailer that inspired me to read the novel in the first place. Thoughts? Concerns? Adoration?
Two Kates. Two Nominations? Two WINS?! Or category confusion?~Steven
2 comments:
I do love Kate Winslet, and it's not fair for me to comment when I haven't seen either of her new movies yet. I will say that she has some tough competition this year. I just saw Kristen Scott Thomas in I've Loved You So Long (for which she's already receiving Oscar buzz), and she gave one of the most beautiful, nuanced performances I've seen in ages. Also, I saw an advanced screening of Doubt, and Meryl definitely has another shot (though, by now, the awards might opt for someone younger). So while it's way to early to tell, I will say that Kate has her work cut out for her this year.
- Carrie
O definitely, there's some tough competition this year, which makes it so much more exciting! That's why I think Kate will do better in the supporting category where there is considerably less competition. Either way, the two performances you mentioned are two I really want to see! Kristen Scott Thomas is a great actress plus she has a shot at the Tony this year (would be fun to see her win two different industry awards in one year). And Meryl and Doubt? I'm so there! The fact that she only has two Oscars... I'm speechless about it.
~Steven
Post a Comment