Excellent
Denis from Wexford, 11 Mar 2009
This is an excellent movie - rivetting from beginning to end. It does not pull any punches in telling its story. This is a story set in the obsessive world of the state watching every move of its citizens; one of the things about obsession is that the focus of obsession can shift as it does in this film. In the end the watcher becomes personally obsessed by the person being watched and once you see the person as a person rather than a mission then things change.
Powerful acting throughout.
the lives of others
dave from Laois, 28 Mar 2008
Definately worth a watch. If you can bear with the slight irritation of having to read subtitles, then watching some often overlooked european cinema, instead of going for the middle of the road hollywood muck, then this is hugely rewarding. A tight, taut and closterphobic atmosphere is brilliantly achieved, the performances spot on, the story cut close to the bone. More scary than alien,predator and freddy kreuger put together!
Grim but good.
Ciaran from Dublin, 27 Oct 2007
Very well acted story of life behind the Iron Curtain in East Berlin, 1983. It's drab, dreary and grim just like the Stasi like it! Story follows a staunch Stasi officer as he monitors a couple of Thesbians - a famous playwright/poet and an actress. His life and theirs become connected and the tale is very well told and very interesting. Rock solid acting make this a good quality movie.
Obsessively good.
John from Donegal, 07 Nov 2008
A member of East Germany's Stasi party spies on a suspected rebel, only to find himself becoming obsessed with his life.
An excellent film, those of us who still remember the Berlin wall coming down and love John Le Carre books will really dig this.
The plotting and acting is superb, by half way through, I forgot it had subtitles and for me, thats a sign of a great film.
Outstanding
Patrick from Cork, 21 Mar 2008
One of the greatest films I've seen in the last few years, made even more poignant by the death of the lead actor, Ulrich Muhe, last year, just as he was winning plaudits worldwide for a performance that rivals De Niro's very best. As the film ends on this 'Good Man', its hard to keep the tears away, and its not often you can say that about a political thriller.