Film Reviews

The Lives of Others

• Rating:
• Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
• Starring: Martina Gedeck
• Details: Germany / 137mins (15A).

Sometimes all it takes is a word and someone's life is changed forever. While attending a play by celebrated playwright Georg Dreyman (Koch) in 1980s East Germany, Stasi secret agent Wiesler (Muhe) is told by the Minister Of Culture that the writer doesn't always tow the party line. That's all it takes - Wiesler is on the case and Dreyman's apartment is bugged. Occupying the attic of Dreyman's apartment block, Wielser spies on the writer and pieces together a plot to publish subversive articles outside the country. But slowly, the cold and detached agent is drawn to the life of Dreyman and his cause. The Lives Of Others is a gripping and intriguing drama with a cracking script, excellent performances and a director who knows what he's doing. Von Donnersmarck drains the screen of any colour, leaving us with a dour grey which compliments the drab surroundings of his East Germany. The acting throughout is flawless but it's without a doubt Muhe's film. It's an arresting (pun intended) performance from Muhe, who personifies the coldness of the secret police whose ambition it was to 'know everything'. The Lives Of Others is a film of a hundred little ingenious touches that add up to one satisfying film experience.

Review by Gavin Burke