Oscar Watch: Why Herr Winslet's Latest Vehicle In Sinking
Stephen Daldry's "The Reader'' isn't on the list of viable Best Picture contenders -- just seven -- I enumerate in today's Post. I originally was going to repeat my thoughts about why "The Reader'' wasn't going to make the cut, but that seemed redundant after I took another whack at this stilted saga about a Nazi pedophile (Kate Winslet) in my year-end piece on Sunday and the devastating reviews -- including Kyle Smith's pan in The Post -- came out yesterday. The reviews from major critics charted on Rott

EXCLUSIVE: Director Stephen Daldry on Sex, Moguls and Surviving 'The Reader' [Five Questions]
The culmination of our dedicated coverage of The Reader— from Rudin/Weinstein blow-ups to Oscar prognoses to its sexual audacity— arrived this weekend when director Stephen Daldry phoned Defamer HQ. "Sorry, I overslept," he said in his dignified brogue — a forgivable lapse under the circumstances, with his Kate Winslet film following his Billy Elliot stage adaptation by mere weeks on his late-'08 calendar. Nevertheless, we got him properly caffeinated and settled in for a rousing installme

The Reader: "Emotionally Constipated & Unable To Seriously Address The Holocaust" [Critical Mass]
The Reader, a film based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Bernhard Schlink, takes place in a post-war Germany and centers around Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet), an illiterate woman who sleeps with a teenage boy (David Kross) whom she asks to read to her before and after sex. Eventually, the boy grows up and encounters Hanna again when she is on trial for war crimes. The subject matter and plot shift from a story of sexual awakening to a courtroom drama is tiring to some critics, although they agree that

Peter, Paul & Mary, Peter Paul Rubens, & Paul Reubens
The ReaderRead It And Possibly WeepTrailers & Mo | Official WebsiteThe Reader's not the easiest thing to digest (get it, Reader's Digest? no, we mean are you a subscriber to Reader's Digest? get it? actually you shouldn't since there's plenty of other reading material more worthy of thumbing through whilst yer takin a dump). The Reader delves into the touchy topic of next generation Germans dealing with the guilt associated with the monstrosity that the last generation created, a little thing called t

Scott Rudin Pulls Name off The Reader
Academy Award winning producer Scott Rudin has pulled his name off The Reader, the upcoming Stephen Daldry (The Hours) drama starring Kate Winslet that’s set to be released December 12. The announcement comes after Rudin and Harvey Weinstein had a very long and bruising battle over the release date. Variety reports that Weinstein and Rudin have never gotten along. They clashed over Daldry’s 2002 The Hours and again over the post-production schedule of The Reader. Rudin, the winner of the best pict

Reader is Rudin-Less
There's nothing much to add to Patrick Goldstein's story (posted late yesterday afternoon) about powerhouse producer Scott Rudin walking away from The Reader (Weinstein Co., 12.12), the David Hare-scripted WWII drama with Kate Winslet. I know that Rudin and Reader director Stephen Daldry are allies and amigos, having worked together on The Hours (which was also written by Hare). And that Daldry is pretty much on his own in the rush to finish The Reader in time for the early December release date

The Reader: Film Review
 Doubt Wendy and Lucy The Reader Adam Resurrected Timecrimes What Doesn't Kill You Dark Streets Nothing Like the Holidays Frost/Nixon Punisher: War Zone  more    The sheer size of the Toronto festival can be intimidating. >>> Turkey Business. >>> Check out our preview section for a list of upcoming films. >>>     Direct

No Oscar glory for 'The Reader'?
When the always indomitable Scott Rudin abruptly took his name off Stephen Daldry's "The Reader" in early October after roughly 15 rounds of heavyweight tussling with Harvey Weinstein (who is releasing the movie next week), everyone assumed the worst. If Rudin were willing to abandon ship--and leave Daldry, one of his favorite filmmakers, behind, even after Weinstein had agreed to give Daldry more money so he could edit the film around the clock as he hurried it to the finish line--then the film m

Producer Scott Rudin Leaves The Reader
Scott Rudin has walked away from The Reader, and will no longer be involved in The Weinstein Co’s December release. Here is the situation, as I understand it. A couple weeks ago, Nikki Finke made claims that Harvey Weinstein had harassed both Sydney Pollack while on his deathbed and the widow of the late Anthony Minghella in an attempt to get the film into movie theaters for Oscar consideration. Finke was able to provide an email from Rudin to back up these claims. And then The Weinstein Co released a

Scott Rudin takes his name off ‘The Reader,’ walks away
UPDATE (9:58 p.m.): Thanks to one of our readers for pointing out that “The Reader” has been removed from The Weinstein Company’s official site.  Could it mean that Weinstein will fold after all?  Could the pain of getting a publicity team in place, dealing with Rudin’s all-in public play and general bad buzz make TWC see the light and move the film to 2009?  We’ll see… EARLIER: I love Scott Rudin.  All along, throughout this whole nasty affair, I have hoped he would

Scott Rudin leaves ‘Reader’
After a long and bruising battle with Harvey Weinstein over Stephen Daldry’s “The Reader,” producer Scott Rudin is leaving the project and taking his name off the film. Weinstein and Rudin have never gotten along. They clashed over Daldry’s 2002 “The Hours,” also written by David Hare, and again over the post-production schedule of “The Reader.” Rudin, the winner of the best picture Oscar for last year’s “No Country for Old Men,” had first

Scott Rudin Exits "The Reader"
Talk about your dysfunctional families. Only in this instance, the family is a film crew. Scott Rudin has walked away from The Reader and will no longer be involved with The Weinstein Co.’s December release. He also won’t be credited as a producer on the period romantic-drama starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. Apparently, there’s been some feuding going on. Rudin’s move took the Weinstein Co. by surprise, coming several weeks after Rudin (pictured with Sydney Pollack) and Har

Weinstein-Rudin Divorce
The long-festering fight over the film The Reader reached a dénouement yesterday when Scott Rudin walked away from the film and took his name off it. Harvey Weinstein, who’s co-producing, had insisted The Reader come out in time for awards season, because the Harvey brand desperately needs a hit. Rudin was concerned that Reader star Kate Winslet would compete with herself for awards; she’s already starring in the Rudin-produced Revolutionary Road, also due in December. Now, it’s Har

Exclusive: Stephen Daldry on Directing The Reader
Eight years ago, director Stephen Daldry worked with playwright David Hare to adapt Chris Cunningham's novel The Hours into a film honored with nine Oscar nominations, including Nicole Kidman winning an Oscar for her performance as writer Virginia Woolf. The duo have reunited to adapt Bernard Schlink's bestselling book The Reader as their latest film, once again tackling difficult subject matter with a semi-autobiographical story set in post-WWII Germany involving a teen's first sexual experience with an ol

Interview: The Reader Director Stephen Daldry
Stephen Daldry is the only director in history to get a Best Director nomination for his first two films. The guy made such a splash with Billy Elliott and The Hours that you can't blame him for taking a break from the screen. But now he's back with The Reader, a drama based on Bernhard Schlink's novel about a love affair between a teenage boy and an older woman in post-war Germany. Much more than just a hot love story, The Reader deals with the many different levels of guilt felt by Germans aft

An unsettling tale is found between the lines of 'The Reader'
The Reader (* * * out of four) is a slow-moving but absorbing story of sexual awakening and moral dilemmas. Director Stephen Daldry (The Hours) has intelligently adapted Bernhard Schlink's novel set in post-World War II Germany. Though the effort is uneven, it's a well-acted romance that becomes a less compelling courtroom drama. Kate Winslet is especially good as the taciturn Hanna, a thirtysomething ticket taker on an urban train who starts a clandestine affair with bright 15-year-old Michae

Weinstein Co. Is Now 25% Off [Deathwatch]
Harvey Weinstein made his name trading the most emphemeral commodities of all — Oscar buzz — but it will be the harsh realities of cold, hard cash that threaten to bring him down.The lukewarm reaction to The Reader is not the only barometer of the perilous state where the Weinstein Co., which he and brother Bob launched in 2005, finds itself. A much less subjective measure is a report from Bloomberg News that one of their early backers, Fidelity Investments, has marked down the shares it owns by

Jokes and Glory: The Golden Globe Noms
Stephen Daldry's The Reader, a well-made, high-toned Holocaust drama that many critics and smartypants-types have dismissed due to its cool tone and lack of an emotionally cathartic finale, has been included among the five nominees for Best Drama for the Golden Globe awards, which were announced early this morning. What's this about? Is this a result of Harvey Weinstein having worked the room, leaned on Hollywood Foreign Press voters, etc.? What's the back-story?

Harvey Weinstein Fails to Nab ‘Mr. Skin’ Top 10 Berth For Nude Kate Winslet [The Reader]
Poor Harvey Weinstein just can’t catch a break for The Reader! So far, his pushy campaign to ready the film for awards glory has resulted in the loss of both Scott Rudin and a million-dollar bet, and now his efforts have resulted in further ignominy: Kate Winslet’s very naked performance was denied a spot on Mr. Skin’s Top Celebrity Nude Scenes of 2008. Could this be an Oscar precursor? Let’s hope not, considering who came in first: 1. Mischa Barton Title: Closing the Ring Release

Oscar, Oscar! The Reader’s Winslet Left Me Gasping
The ReaderRunning time 123 minutes Written by David Hare Directed by Stephen Daldry Starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Lena Olin, Bruno Ganz, David Kross The turkey’s in the soup, the retailers are praying for a Merry Christmas, and the year-end movie countdown is in full swing. I’ve still got a few items on my screening list, but I will go out on a limb right now and predict I will see nothing greater, more haunting, wrenching or profound, than The Reader. I’m preparing you in advance. One viewing

Harvey Weinstein Fails to Nab ‘Mr. Skin’ Top 10 Berth For Nude Kate Winslet [Th
Poor Harvey Weinstein just can't catch a break for The Reader! So far, his pushy campaign to ready the film for awards glory has resulted in the loss of both Scott Rudin and a million-dollar bet, and now his efforts have resulted in further ignominy: Kate Winslet's very naked performance was denied a spot on Mr. Skin's Top Celebrity Nude Scenes of 2008. Could this be an Oscar precursor? Let's hope not, considering who came in first: 1. Mischa Barton Title: Closing the Ring Release Date: August 1, 2008 M

Sex and the SS
The ReaderRunning time 123 minutesWritten by David HareDirected by Stephen DaldryStarring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, Lena Olin, Bruno Ganz, David Kross Stephen Daldry’s The Reader, from a screenplay by David Hare, based on the semi-autobiographical novel The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink, has lost much of the emotional power of the book, which was published in 1995, translated into 40 other languages and became the first German novel to top the New York Times’ best-seller list. The problem with the film

Harvey Weinstein - Weinstein Holds Out Olive Branch To Rudin
Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein wants to make peace with producer pal Scott Rudin, after their bitter argument over two new movies starring Kate Winslet. The ...

New Film"The Reader" in Pedophile Controversy
Mild Spoilers Reading Between the Lines in The Reader: When is Abuse Not Abuse?The Reader? It's goodish. And Kate Winslet is, as ever, brilliant. And it has Nazis, which elevates it on the Oscar nom scale. But I'm not critiquing it here. I'm addressing its portrayal of child abuse - an adult having sex with a minor. I'm curious about the pass the disturbingly intimate relationship between a mature woman and an adolescent boy seems to be getting in David Hare's adaptation of Bernard Schlink's novel

Morning Memo: Harvey Weinstein Vindicated?; Bill Clinton Redirects His Energy; Janet Jackson Hospitalized
Scott Rudin has admitted that he lied to Page Six about an email that Harvey Weinstein supposedly sent to producer Sydney Pollack on his deathbed, along with the widow of another producer, Anthony Minghella, over issues related to the upcoming release of The Reader. [Gawker] During a talk about the joys of philanthropy featuring Bill Clinton, The Economist's Matthew Bishop noted, "Neuroscientists have monitored the part of the brain where you get the reward for giving, and it's the same place for sex