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The last person to see ‘Lives of Others"

September 4, 2007 by Dave Knadler

This blog is about as far behind the curve as it can get, so I suppose I shouldn’t be too embarrassed to heartily endorse a movie everyone’s already seen. Regarding all those great reviews you’ve seen for The Lives of Others, let me just say this: Me too.

I pushed it up to the top of the Netflix queue after both my son and my mother-in-law recommended it within a couple of days of each other. I appreciate such advice, since the rest of my queue generally consists of movies I’ve already seen.

This film, about life under perpetual surveillance in pre-Glasnost East Germany, works as both a sober character study and political thriller. That’s probably why it earned the Oscar for best foreign-language film in 2006. While maybe 15 minutes too long, the superb writing and cast (if not unknown, let’s just say there’s nobody who’s been in a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel) make The Lives of Others worth more than a single viewing.

There was a time when I wouldn’t have watched a non-English film; now I sometimes feel that I shouldn’t watch anything but. Movies made outside the American studio system are nearly always more authentic, meaning much less susceptible to focus-group twists and endings. I’d prefer all films to be in English, of course, but the subtitles are a small price to pay for watching something without gratuitous CGI effects and stars you’re sick of seeing on the cover of Us magazine.

More along these lines:

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  • the artist oscar nominationLimit the Oscar nominees to those I’ve seen

Filed Under: Movies

Comments

  1. Peter says

    September 5, 2007 at 4:38 am

    Nope, there’s still at least one person who hasn’t seen it. Even my other has seen this one already.

    I ought to see it as a companion to my recent rading of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.
    ==============
    Detectives Beyond Borders
    “Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
    http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/

  2. Dave K. says

    September 6, 2007 at 3:27 am

    I don’t feel so bad then. Definitely check it out when you get the chance. Actually, Stasi agent Gerd Wiesler may not be so different from British spy Alec Leamas …

  3. Maxine says

    September 16, 2007 at 5:08 pm

    I loved this movie. Truly brilliant. Please do see it, Peter!

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