I love this movie so much

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Even the most ardent bibliophiles have to set aside their books when the theater lights go down, but this playful French import at least offers some consolation, in a sense attempting to approximate with the written word what Juzo Itami did with noodles and egg yolk in 'Tampopo'. One of the joys of a good book is of course the vicarious thrill of escapism, something Miou-Miou discovers firsthand while reading Raymond Jean's novel (of the same name as the film) and imagining herself as its protagonist: a professional reader who finds her choice of books somehow reflecting the idiosyncrasies of each client. This is clearly a film working on several levels at once, but a refresher course in European literature may be required to fully appreciate it. The visual scheme is offbeat and arresting, bringing the pages of each selected novel to colorful life, but the script is perhaps too infatuated with its own love of language, creating an elegant and infuriating puzzle where the patterns of each separate piece are more attractive than the finished picture.

One SHINWA has made some scathing remarks about this film, and has passed judgment on the script as well as the direction and even the motivation of the leading actress who (in company with the rest of the cast) gives a most satisfying and believable performance. The character does not indeed refuse to read Sade for her client, she declines to give a second reading of it to an audience including two other men, invited by her client without prior consultation. SHINWA goes on to accuse the character of duel standards because she refused to read Sade, yet earlier leaps into bed with one of her clients; they are both adult and both play the game, she exercises her will as an adult woman in both this and the Sade episode, and I don't know where SHINWA'S notion that the actress bares her crotch has come from, certainly not from this rather wonderful and light hearted film. I can only think that Shinwa considers this film to be unworthy because it fails to meet the high intellectual standards of Shinwa. Unfortunately for all the people who think this way, films are made for anyone to enjoy and must therefore stoop a little every now and then as well as excel. Believe me, this film has nothing to apologize about, it is a beautiful little romp, and the music (composed by a first class bloke who knew what he was doing)is a true delight and so very fitting.

Possible spoilers...In the evening, Constance reads the novel "the reader". She likes this novel so much that she ends up identifying with the heroine of the novel, Marie. Her job is to read several pages of any book to her customers including a disabled teenager called Eric, a stressed businessman or a little girl whose name is Coralie...Michel Deville, the director transmits us the joy and the comfort her main character brings to her customers reading pages of Baudelaire, Carroll or Marguerite Duras. Marie thanks to her nice voice, her passion of reading, her shiny presence make people happy and eventually makes the spectator happy. In a way, like "the hairdresser's wife" (1990), a beautiful movie by Patrice Leconte, "la lectrice" is one of these rare films where you smile during almost all the projection. It is the opportunity for Miou Miou to find one of her very best roles too and she offers us a delightful composition. She's the real major asset of the film."La Lectrice" is a smart, poetic movie with sparkling dialogs and ingenious sequences where the pleasure of words joins the pleasure of pictures. Another good point: a rightly chosen classical music mainly used in the moments where you see Marie walking down the streets of Arles between two reading sessions. The music gives the movie an impression of lightness and well-being. Besides, I feel that everything here breathes joy of living and even if the end of the movie remains a little dark (Marie by refusing to read an extract from a Sade novel is becoming jobless), we can detect a message of hope in Constance's intention of becoming a reader: reading must be conserved in a society where books occupy a less and less important place.Michel Deville's movie won the Louis Delluc price in 1988. It was only fair.

This low budget French movie is not bad. However, it is highly recommended for a very specific public only, especially those involved in and fans of literature. Marie (Miou-Miou) is in bed with her mate reading a book. There, she fantasizes being the character Constance, a woman who offers her services in reading books for peculiar costumers. The story is so flat, the soundtrack is monotonous and even the genre of this movie is difficult to be defined. Is it a romance, a drama, a comedy, art-movie? I respect the viewers who enjoyed it, but for common public this movie is boring. Better off reading the novel. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "Uma Leitora Bem Particular" ("A Reader Very Private")