Though i am indeed a movie buff, i was never serious about reading reviews..or following it up. I just went around randomly in the movie world, like a child lost in a library. I started seeing other foreign language films too like french, spanish, german and other asian countries. Some of them are not worth sitting through and some, i found , made me sit up and watch. I just want to write something about them here, to share my thoughts about those wonderful films. Though Madhavi did ask me to write down about movies i like, i shied away thinking that i might never fit into the world of her reviews.. I found her extremely knowledgeable and her description of a movie is always much better than any review in papers. But I got this urge to write up about some of them, and if i can make atleast one person to see a movie basing on review, i think I made it.
Today, i watched a German film.. Leben der Anderen, Das , released in USA as The lives of others. It moved me so much i thought i should write a few lines about the film.
The scenery is set in East Germany in eighties, before the fall of the wall. As every one knows, there were serious restrictions on all media in that country under the communist regime. We can never imagine that world of totally curbed fundamental rights. The people perpetually live in fear of Stasi, the state security police, who are akin to Gestapo of Nazi germany.
The story revolves around three characters..the author...Georg Dreyman, His Girl friend and superb Actress Christa..and the officer assigned to cover their lives and activities Gerd Wiesler.
Georg is under suspicion that he might be involved in aiding anti state activities and the Corrupt minister orders an enquiry into his activities. Wiesler supervises the team which fixes the mikes all over the home of Georg and sits in the control room in a twelve hour shift to monitor every word spoken between those four walls. Wiesler is supposed to be the best man in the business and hence the critical role assigned to him.
Christa is one of the best actors in the Country but her existence is threatened by the minister who is totally besotted with her.
Though Georg is initially neutral, the suicide of his close friend and a brilliant director moves him beyond any reproach as he starts to aid the anti state activists. His writings make the head lines on the other side of wall, as he narrates how many artists have committed suicide in East Germany. Though he is not credited for that works, for obvious reasons, he becomes suspect numero uno in the eyes of Stasi. The Minister too, piqued by Christa's denial, orders her arrest on flimsy reasons. She is given a choice of becoming a state evidence in revealing the culprit's name.
In this tense, surreal world of honest truth and love and loyalty and harsh realty, the most surprising element turns out to be the Prosecutor Wiesler himself.
How far can one go for a cause? One he believes in, he trusts is correct and finds it so fulfilling to stick to it, inspite of dire consequences ? this is to be seen on this beautiful film....I just could never get off my seat for the entire length of time i watched this film. The ending obviously moves us beyond words, so poignant as it can be, as films wrought a magic on us like nothing ever could. Trust you find this somewhere in a stores near by......or else, i am always willing to give the rapidshare links to this film.



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Weisler...the Captain of Stasi



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Georg and Christa...the people under microscope


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Wow, thanks SF, for such a detailed analysis of the film. Your review definitely makes me want to watch the film. The character of Weisler especially seems very interesting. It is on my Dec list of films to watch... . I think the fim got the best foreign national film award at the Oscars last year but I am not sure...(about the dates, I mean).

Thanks Madhavi for the appreciation .. the details are available on http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405094/ . The saddest part is that Ulriche Muhe..who played the detective Weisler died on 22 july, 2007. He really took acting to new heights... Yes, the film has won oscar award in foreign film category.
I quote these details from IMDB..
" In Leben der Anderen, Das (2006), Ulrich Muhe plays an agent of the Staatssicherheit, East Germany's main security and intelligence organization. The role had particular resonance for him, who was under surveillance by the Stasi, being a noted theater actor. He later discovered that his then wife Jenny Gröllmann was registered as an informant during their marriage. Nevertheless, she had denied that allegations until her death."
How close life comes to drama !!


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Ulrich Muhe..voted as the best european actor, 2006.

I am looking for its torrent.I need to see it mate.

Thanks for sharing details.

HR...I am sure that you wont be disappointed after seeing the film. It is my pleasure to share my views in this nice forum. i have rapidshare links...i am posting them here...I dont know about torrents, never downloaded any...


download Links


HR...i searched for torrents..with the german name of the film..and got this ..it has horrible ads...but the film is there alright. just check it up..

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Thanks alot Simplefable Ji,

You are star!

Thanks a lot SF for this detailed writeup, i must watch Leben der Anderen, Das...

Simplefable Ji could you send me the torrent link again.Is it 1.37 GB file?Thne it must have two CDs without subtitle.

I am looking for a single dvdRip file along with subtitle.Else i have to learn German.Hehehe

Kidding!

Thanks for your help

HR...it is a 700 mb, dvd rip. I am sending the rapidshare link for a text document. You can go through it.. as far as learning german is considered..


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Simplefable Ji you are simply fantastic.

Thanks again.

You are a star!

After a long time, am coming to this thread. Not that i havent watched any movies that are worthwhile, but after watching this i got that strong feeling to sit and write about it.
I never heard about this film. Downloaded it accidentally from the net..and it was worthwhile, i would say.

This is all about a loving man, Lars who is known to be sensitive and sensible trying to pick up the pieces of his life..or what ever is remaining. Lars's mother passes away while Lars is being born. His father goes to rot while he grieves over his wife..and Lars's elder brother Gus runs away from home. After a long time, Gus returns with his wife Karen and they settle down in the family home, while Lars insists and moves into the Garage. This is what we come to know in the passing...by bit and pieces.
The film opens with Lars totally alienating himself from his brother and sister in law. It is almost as if he lives in a world of his own, as he spurns the advances of his female colleague..Karen tries her best to get him involved with them , inviting him home time and again. But Lars tries to avoid them totally. But on the work front, we find Lars to be totally adequate ..and independent.
Then, one day Lars comes to Gus and Karen and declares that he has fallen for a girl Bianca, who is from Brazil whom he met on the net. He further informs them that he will be inviting her home on that night for dinner. Gus and Karen go into raptures...glad that Lars has found his girl atlast.
When the night falls, Lars comes to them, with a Doll, a life sized doll, all dressed up , seated in a Wheel Chair ! Even as Gus and Karen are dazed, Lars gets to talk with Bianca the doll and behaves as he would with any live girl !
So, Gus and Karen rush to the local Doctor Dagmar to treat Lars. Dagmar, starts seeing Lars with the pretext of treating Bianca from a serious disease..and they get to talk about somethings which Lars always held close to his heart...The whole town comes to the aid of Lars, by recognizing Bianca as Lars's girl..and treating her in a lovely way...But Can Lars find his way out ?? From his delusions ? That is the million dollar question ....
I will stop her, or else i will spoil the whole show.. Would like you to enjoy this film for what it is . .. a sensitive portrayl of a person who is fighting to tear down the walls he has built around himself...

Ryan Gosling as Lars is just amazing. I find the traces Robin Willams in him...totally into the character with not even an iota of difference. All the supporting cast is excellent. There is so much scope that the film could invite raucous laughter...or boos...yet, the way it was done is fantastic. We just get absorbed into the film..and start living it all over.




Lars with Bianca !




Gus, Karen dazedly looking at Lars and Bianca..

Today i watched a beautiful film. To be frank, that disc was with me since two years, but i could never find time to sit and watch. It is a film starring Pierce Brosnan...yours truly Bond and other small actors. What scores big is two facts about it...the underlying message of love all through the film and the fact that it is a true story. I am doing a small write up..just to let you know of the outline of the film. Hope you all can find sometime to sit with this memorable film...am sure you wont mind at all.

The film is about a family in Ireland. Pierce Brosnan, His wife, Two boys and a girl child Evelyn. Brosnan is a painter / Tradesman as he calls himself. He looses his job in a winter and his disgruntled wife runs away with an american leaving the children with Brosnan. The Irish law has a peculiar ruling, where by a jobless man cannot keep his children with him and have to be relegated to the parishes in Ireland. The Judge while ruling sends the three kids to parishes and nunneries to be kept and looked after. The Judge says that as soon as Brosnan gets a decent job, he can come and claim the children.
What the Judge doesnt tell Brosnan is what the film is all about. There is a ruling in the Constitution of Ireland that for a child to be released from the custody of a parish, there has to be consent from both the parents of the child. This is the rule which shatters Pierce Brosnan, as he can never get a consent from his wife who has vanished from the country itself.
So, when Brosnan gets a decent job and goes to claim the kids, he gets the shock of his life, as he comes to know of the facts of the case. With the wildness often attributed to Irish people, he tries to think of every way to take his kids away from the parish, but then it is known that Parish is the strong hold in Ireland, even controlling the Courts and the Government. It is always reluctant to let go of children from their possession. Althrough there is a magic of physical chemistry between the kids and Brosnan..so much so that we can feel the passion between them in the air.
What saves Brosnan from committing the crimes of kidnapping his kids is the local Bar tender Cum Chemist..a vivacious girl who guides Brosnan to her brother, a local advocate. The Advocate explains to Brosnan how it is impossible to win his case, which has no precedents what so ever...Brosnan has nothing but the love for his kids, where as the parish has the Constitution behind them.
Understandably, Brosnan looses his case in the local Court and High Court. But then, he is fortunate enough to meet two of the best advocates who take him to the Supreme Court for the final shot...at the so called Constitution....of a Country which keeps a child away from it's father...
What comes then, is an episode for the heart. With twists and turns as tortuous as the rugged alps, we come to the climax...What wins is for everyone to guess !
Everyone of the cast are brilliant...and Brosnan did justice for his role. I never saw his Bond...but this one is very commendable indeed. The girl, Evelyn, steals your heart from the moment she looks into your eyes..to the final memorable shot...Just try this film for once, for an unforgettable experience of a lifetime.
The Legal points touched me very deeply ...as i personally have been victim to the mindless legalities which made me won twice in the Apex Court, yet again made me loose in the Lower High Court. Since then, i have lost faith in the Courts...It is for those strictly academics, not for the real sufferers anyway...the one exception i took is for this fine film..

Here are a few pics...




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