The Reader (1988)
R 01 Oct 1989 • Comedy, Drama • 1h 38m
A multi-faceted film based on Raymond Jean's novel "La Lectrice". Constance (Miou-Miou) reads the novel aloud in bed to her lover. Inspired by the story of Marie, a woman who advertises her services as a reader of literature, Constance decides to do the same. Here the film takes on a kaleidoscopic effect as the lives of Constance and Marie become merged, making it hard to distinguish what is real and what is fantasy. This structure is further complicated when the lives of Constance's clients become tangled with the stories she reads. The film is interspersed with readings from well known literary sources as diverse as, amongst others, Baudelaire, Duras, Tolstoy, Lewis Carroll and de Sade's "120 days..."
Director
Writer
Starring
Language:
French
Awards:
4 wins & 8 nominations
Country:
France
Metacritic Score:
DVD Release Date:
Box Office Total:
$699,397