Yesterday I went to see 'The Lives of Others'. It's a brilliant film, won an oscar for Best Foreign Film Category last year (shokingly beating even Pan's Labyrinth!!!). I really loved it, and I totally recommend everyone to see it- NOW!!
I have to admit, I was very reluctant to spend money to go to the cinema to see this. I saw the trailer, about a week ago, and I was not impressed. It looked like a stuffy, boring, long and drawn out film. But it wasn't! It was touching and moving without being over the top with melodrama (which is such a fine and delicate line- many films either overshoot, or fall short, but this film gets it just right). It was funny, and at times very sad.
I suppose I should give a brief summary: It's based in 1980's East Germany when the communists still were in control, and the Berlin Wall was firmly in it's place. The secret police. the Stasi, was dogedly surveying all and anyone who raised any suspiciouns (if you're taking illegal medication, if you're making jokes about the leaders, if you're writing anything that might put East Berlin in a bad light...) and handing out harsh punishments if one is 'black-listed'. This film is the story about a prominent spy who is ordered to observe a play-writer, and his girldfriend, a per request of a high up official. And so he begins listening to everything that goes on in the artits' cosy little flat (after the entire apartment has been bugged with microphones). As time goes by, he uncovers more than he was anticipating, and it's related to the high up official that requested the surveilance in the first place. However, this is a story about good people, stuck in difficult times, trying to survive and at the same time stay true to themselves.
This is such an excellent film, I really really recomend it to anyone who has sometime to spare- I promise that you won't regret it!
Have any of you already seen it?