The Reader

Kate Winslet had a great year, and her work here might actually be better than the knockout performance she gave in Revolutionary Road. She plays a woman having an affair with a much younger man (David Kross) in the 1960s. She also has some dark secrets, and it all leads to very intriguing drama, not to mention lots of naked Winslet scenes. Winslet ages significantly in the film, and through the help of some decent makeup, she does it well. The film shifts from forbidden love story to courtroom drama, but the courtroom stuff is far from tedious.