Englishman Stephen Daldry is quite a cautious director. Since his successful debut with "Billy Elliot" in 2000, he has only made one more movie, the similarly acclaimed "The Hours" from 2002.

But now Daldry is back with "The Reader", a story from post-war Germany. At its center is Hanna Schmitz (played by Kate Winslet), a middle-aged woman who carries some dark, destructive secrets.

And it's mainly Winslet's superb performance that makes the film so good. Together with Ralph Fiennes, she dominates every scene she's in. No wonder Kate Winslet won an Academy Award for her achievement.