(Martina Gedeck photo from Rotten Tomatoes)I was rooting for "Pan's Labyrinth" to win the 2006 Oscar Award for Best Foreign Film. After seeing "The Lives of Others" today, I agree with the Academy's choice. It is a fictional but realistic look at the lives of East Germans before the reunification, specifically of a Stasi officer spying on a playwright and his actress-girlfriend. It is a gripping political thriller, an indictment of the corrupt dictatorship. It poses questions about loyalty and patriotism. But I think ultimately it is a drama about the choices we make in the face of life's ambiguity. The movie ends on a hugely emotionally satisfying note. The performances are excellent, especially Ulrich Mühe as the agent, Sebastian Koch as the playwright and Martina Gedeck as his lover. (The whole time I thought she looked like singer Shoshana Bean.) The DVD comes out August 21, 2007.
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