The Reader

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

The Reader
If you didn't catch this provocative movie about the Holocaust (and so much more), now is your chance to do so. This is the performance that won Kate Winslet the Golden Globe and the Oscar and if you bring this movie home it won't be hard to see why.

She's mesmerizing as Hanna Schmitz, a German woman who strikes up an affair with a teenager named Michael Berg. In college, Berg learns that Hanna harbors many secrets when she goes on trial for Nazi war crimes. Ralph Fiennes plays an older Michael who struggles to reconcile his feelings for the woman he had an affair with, while comprehending the crimes she's committed.

Special features include deleted scenes, "Adapting a Timeless Masterpiece: Making The Reader," Kate Winslet talking about how to play an aging Hanna Schmitz, and the trailer.

One more up next so read more

Kate Winslet waved to her fans earlier today on her way into a photo call for The Reader during the Berlin Film Festival. After posing for pictures, she sat down with her costars for a press conference and then got fancy to hit the premiere alongside Ralph Fiennes. Kate's up for an Oscar for her role in the WWII drama, but she's pragmatic about the odds of winning since she's been nominated five times before but never has won. She said, "I'm so used to it, having gone through it before and having lost so many times. Being in that losing state is something I'm much more comfortable in, in a funny kind of a way." Kate's wise not to get her hopes too high, but after all her award season success so far, her sixth time might be lucky. You could be too — fill out your ballot and enter to win a year of movies!

To see more from Kate's day just read more

What doesn't kill you, earns you a Best Actress Golden Globe! That is, if you are the incredibly talented Kate Winslet. The star of Revolutionary Road, a must-see for all married moms, also took home the award for best supporting actress for her work in The Reader.

Aside from making incredible movies — Little Children, Titanic, The Life of David Gale, to name a few — the British born beauty is raising two children — Mia, 8, and Joe, 5 — with her husband, director Sam Mendes. At last night's awards, the mum thanked everyone from her costars to her hair and makeup artists. But, she saved the best kudos to her kids for last on both occasions, even mentioning that they were on set during the filming of Revolutionary Road. During her first acceptance, she said:

To my children, Mia and Joe, who are watching this on TV. Look. I won! Thank you for coming on this adventure with mommy.

Congratulations to this down-to-earth mama who piggy backs her kids home from school. We can't wait until her next performance!

Source, Flynet and Bauer-Griffin

The Day the Earth Stood Still may not have been a critical hit but it is now officially a box office success, earning $31 million over the weekend and topping Four Christmases, which slid into second place. Twilight, Bolt, and Australia followed in third, fourth, and fifth places respectively.

Meanwhile, Variety is reporting that smaller, independent films "delivered one of the best weekends ever for the specialty box office." Movies like Doubt, The Reader and Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino all enjoyed strong debuts, while movies like Milk and Frost/Nixon continue to draw good sized audiences in theaters.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Kate Winslet may not have been wearing another hot dress, but she still looked great in all black at a screening of The Reader in London earlier today. Besides being back on her home turf, she has plenty to smile about now that Golden Globe nominations have been announced. Her new films scored a total of eight nods, which just gives audiences even more reason to see lovely Kate show off her skills in The Reader and Revolutionary Road before awards season is in full swing.

To see more photos including Ben Kingsley and Marion Cotillard, just read more

Kate Winslet looked smoking hot premiering one of her two Oscar buzz-earning movies, The Reader in NYC last night. While there was a slight delay due to projection issues, the screening went well and there was certainly nothing wrong with the stars' choice of attire. Despite last month's airbrushing controversy, Kate donned a daring Herve Leger dress alongside her costar Ralph Fiennes. While this movie has some Kate acting buzz, it's nothing compared to her reunion with Leo in Revolutionary Road. While she and DiCaprio have aged a bit, fans everywhere are swooning to see them on screen again. Kate has a few more premieres ahead of her, but it will be hard for her to top this hot little number for the rest of her red carpets.

To see more from the premiere, just read more

This historical drama starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes was recently given an earlier release date of Dec. 10, 2008 (in limited release), possibly in the hopes that the movie will prove to be Oscar bait. From the looks of this trailer, that logic may be good.

The Reader takes place in postwar Germany where "a young man's decades-long obsession with an older woman runs headlong into a war crimes trial, where he learns an awful truth."

Winslet appears to be perfect for this role, and I was really impressed with The Hours, which is another of director Stephen Daldry's films, so I'm curious to see this movie. To watch the trailer, read more