The Lives Of Others
Every once in a while you see a movie that reminds you that films can be works of art. Most that I see aren't close to that.
Last night The Gotham Gal and I went down to the Angelika to see The Lives Of Others (Leben der Anderen, Das).
This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long long time. That's what my friend David said the morning after he saw it a couple weeks ago. And he was so right.
The movie is nominally about life in East Germany right before the Berlin wall fell. But like all great films, it's about way more than that. It's about love, betrayal, power, corruption, and the ability of the human spirit to rise above all of that.
If you live in NYC or Los Angeles, you can see the movie now. Hopefully it will play in the rest of the country as this is a great film that everyone should see.
I love these kind of films, and have heard good things about this one from others. Lucky I am in NYC. This one is on my list.
Thanks!
Posted by: Stephen L. McKay | March 10, 2007 at 01:33 PM
Just saw "The Lives of Others" (in Palo Alto, California). What a disappointment. Perhaps I expected too much after the glowing reviews, especially from people I totally trust like Anthony Lane of The New Yorker.
It could have been a great movie indeed. The story is there, the actors could act, and there were several decent scenes, but most of it was so formulaic and predictable that I couldn't start caring about any of the characters. Perhaps with the exception of the evil, fat minister, the only human in this infortunate stick-figure theater.
The two pathetic renderings of the main hero's play (one at the beginning, the other, at the end) were painfully reminiscent of the movie itself. Sad.
Posted by: Gene Linetsky | March 10, 2007 at 09:53 PM
Another example of how lame established media distribution channels are that a movie like that isn't in Louisville or the 5000 other cool cities in "flyover" country.
On demand, on demand, on demand.
Posted by: Andy Swan | March 10, 2007 at 11:07 PM
Haven't seen the movie yet... just wanted to say that it is running here also - in Brookline, MA.
Posted by: Emil Sotirov | March 12, 2007 at 11:17 AM
I read about this moview a few weeks ago in the WSJ and was happy to find that it playing in my hometown of Minneapolis - I saw it on 02/24! I really enjoyed the movie! It was fascinating to see what life was like under the Stasi....
Posted by: Phil | March 12, 2007 at 11:18 AM
Great movie, totally recommend it.
By the way Vancouverite can see this movie at 5th Avenue Cinemas on Burrard.
Posted by: New West Living | March 12, 2007 at 04:49 PM
I saw the movie too. The actor, I forgot the name, who plays the Stasi agent should have received an oscar.
Incredible flick!
Posted by: Jeff | March 13, 2007 at 01:02 AM
Please go on, and read "Stasiland" by Anna Fulder" for a complete insight into how it was actually to live during this time...
Posted by: Ann | March 16, 2007 at 04:01 PM
Great Flick...So why the spoken English "No, its for me" in the last scene?
Posted by: Jan | March 17, 2007 at 07:16 PM
At the end he says, in German, "Es ist für mich." Maybe it just sounded like "it's for me" to you?
(in response to : "Great Flick...So why the spoken English "No, its for me" in the last scene?")
Posted by: jason | May 29, 2007 at 12:34 AM