Review of The Lives of Others (2006) by Nikan A — 14 Jun 2010

Wow. An absolutely stunning film. If you're looking for something different, see THIS film. It took me way too long to finally see it, but I am so glad that I finally did. I first heard of it when it beat out Pan's Labyrinth at the 2006 Oscars for Foreign Language Film. I had seen Pan's and really dug it, so I saw this "upset" as another example of the Academy being completely wrong. Boy, was I wrong. REALLY wrong. The less you know about this film the better, I knew absolutely nothing about the film going in and felt deeply rewarded by the time the end credits rolled. It may seem to start a little slow but all I can implore you do is STICK WITH IT. If you love great cinema and a fascinating story, I promise you that you won't be disappointed. This film is perfect as far as I'm concerned - it gets under your skin and can be frustrating and a little nerve wracking at times but ultimately I was really moved by it - much more than I was anticipating. I can't believe that this was the FIRST film by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, it has the look and feel of a seasoned veteran filmmaker. I can't wait to see what comes next from him. And it's a little sad to know that we'll never get to see the late Ulrich Muhe in a film again - he gave a quietly devastating performance in the film. When people ask me "Is this film for everyone?" I will gladly quote my favorite line from the film,.

" No, it's for me".