Customer Reviews

La Lectrice ( The Reader ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A baffling, funny, sexy - and unique movie about a young woman who advertises to be a reader and her encounters with her clients. It starts out with her in bed with her lover and at his request she begins reading a book to him, called LA LECTRICE (The Reader). As she reads it's obvious she becomes the character, and we join her in her exploits.

One "client" is a 15-year-old boy in a wheelchair who is full of adolescent love (sexual longing) for her; another is a man looking for sex; another an old blind woman infatuated with Communist Russia; another a little spoiled girl who'd rather go out and play than be read to; another an old retired judge who wants her to read Sade to him.

It doesn't sound like there could be anything promising in any of this, but some of the scenes are hilarious and much of what she chooses to read is sexy and erotic. The movie comes full circle with it ending as she finishes reading the book to her lover in bed. It's all of a piece, although there is no story line and some of the things that happen make no sense (the maid with the spiders, for instance). Technically it's interesting, too, with good fast cutting and the splicing of scenes together seamlessly. Different and fascinating, and all about the power of words (sort of).

The gist of the story line is this: a beautiful, unemployed woman with no vocational training or professional credentials decides to "create her own business" by placing a classified ad in the local paper as a "reader", i.e., she will come to your home and read to you from the book of your choice for a fee. Of course, this offer opens up itself to all the consequences of the naivity and vulnerability implied, and therein the lighthearted farce. The comedy, however, is played off against more serious commentary, under-, or more generally, unstated: a rather brutal expose the inherent limitations in human relations created by our ongoing obsession with sex. This interfacing of the evidently silly, with the inescapably tragic is what gives a film a bit of bite. Mioux-Mioux is perfectly cast, her talent has never shown more brilliantly, and again proves the truth of Cezanne's claim that the beauty of women grows only more profound with age.

This movie is like many French movies: wacky humor, political and philosophical references, and sexy. It's entertaining and amusing especially if you understand French and/or have read the books that la lectrice reads to her clients. Good if you like Miou Miou or French comedies.

The packaging on the tape was slightly beat up, but I guess that's to be expected with a 10 year old video from a video rental place. It played great and arrived promptly. I'd recommend buying from this seller