Lives of Others

Filmies saw The Lives of Others today. Truly fantastic.

I was skeptical that it could be better than Pan's Labyrinth and that some sort of film travesty had occured at the Academy Awards -- some political oversight by the Academy.

I was wrong.

The Lives of Others is a very emotional, moving, spy thriller.

This was certainly one of the best movies of 2006. It holds its own against the best picture nominees and could probably bump Little Miss Sunshine out or possibly The Queen. I liked the storyline of the Mexican nanny in Babel better than the whole of the movie. I loved The Departed, although it's a little foggy in my memory now. The Queen was a very well-acted movie and Little Miss Sunshine was nice and entertaining. I still haven't seen Letters from Iwo Jima, although it's sitting on my DVD player waiting for me.

Ulrich Muhe, who plays the Stasi Capitan Gerd Wiesler plays a perfect blend of Big Brother and priestly piety. Sebastian Koch, who plays playwright Georg Dreyman, and Martina Gedeck, who plays his actress girlfriend, are a great couple trying to survive the system. The scene in the photo above is one of many great moments, as Gedeck simply whimpers. "Just hold me."

The Lives of Others was captivating from the start and had me tearing up several times.

So, go see The Lives of Others. And if you really liked Pan's Labyrinth, don't feel cheated or robbed.

The best film won.