Prime example of an Overrated Movie

Rating: 6/10 (7 April 2013)

After watching the movie last night, I just couldn't fathom the reason why this movie is so venerated and awarded. At best its a passable account of life in the GDR serviced by a fairly decent script ruined by insipid and lifeless direction. Oh actually the script is also nothing home to write about.
First the movie has absolutely no atmosphere whatsoever and each frame looks like it could be anywhere in Europe in the 50s, 60s or 2000s. Is the Stasi something to be feared? Yes we know that already but the movie never attempts to make you feel scared, or feel claustrophobic or paranoid of the environment in which everything you see or do is under the watch of some Big Brother. A key plot point of the movie brings in a comparison with Hungary. I happened to visit the the Hungarian equivalent of the Hohenschönhausen in Budapest and it made me quake in my boots when I saw the prisons there. The movie steers clear of any 'fearful' portrayal of the Stasi.
Coming to the acting, Sebastian Koch as Dreyman maintains a one-note expression throughout the movie. You could never tell from his crinkly half grinning half squinting expression whether he's tense or happy or scared or what. As a result you never come to care about the predicaments of the central character. There are a couple of good performances by Ulrich Mühe as Weisler and Thomas Thieme as Minister Hempf but thats all there is to it.
I couldn't really point out whether there was something wrong with the Script or the Direction in the end but ultimately it looks like it's a bit of both. A central character has a change of heart which is abrupt and I could never really point out why it occurred, considering how the initial introduction of the character was laid out. The last 10 minutes of the movie borders on the ridiculous when it spends undue amount of time to 'explain' everything that happened (or maybe Dreyman WAS stupid).
All in all the movie was decent but nothing to be wowed over. When I learned that the Director of the movie also directed 'The Tourist' I was not in the least bit surprised.