'won't get fooled again'

Rating: 2/10 (11 March 2010)

I watched this movie only by chance after first reading many eulogies it received among reviewers. As the theme developed and I began to enjoy the immediacy of the plot I slowly realized this wasn't quite the sensitive searching look back upon a failed social experiment I'd been led to believe. As you would expect modern performers are convincing actors - I think the sharpness and no frills approach of modern TV drama has over the years lifted the profession anyway. Can anyone imagine how long an temperamental Joan Crawford type of artist would last in today's climate! The plot whilst rather transparent was adequate. As it developed and later seemed to hinge upon the DDR suicide issue I could see the female lead was probably doomed - but then I remembered another real life suicide 'urban myth' from my younger days. In those days Sweden was (somewhat irritating for certain quarters) successful in its social policies. Its 'progressive' politicians with their caring 'populist' internal behavior and humane foreign approach won a great deal of admiration - after a while assertions started circulating in the media. "Ah yes but"...suddenly it seemed they had the highest suicide ratings in the world - seemingly there was insufficient excitement in Swedish lives. Boredom caused them to dive under buses, jump into rivers and hang themselves under bridges. Hmmm! I expected an intelligent and genuine examination of a top/down flawed new approach to Societies problems - a filmed reversal of the many failed attempts over thousands of years to overthrow the stifling elites by revolt from below. I'm afraid this movie is being hailed by the same people who convinced me that Obama saw things in a different light....his was a new approach....the tone is certainly different but nothing has altered. 'The lives of others' is yet another example - you've seen it before, nothing is changed it is just another predictably praised - I noticed for instance Wm Buckley and one of the Podhoritz clan - two of the foundling godfathers of the NeoCon mafia lauding it as 'The greatest movie I've ever seen' in one case and 'One of the greatest movies ever made in the other'. We've been conned again I'm sorry to say it's just another 'Commie Bashing' production. The movie was seen eventually on a business trip with a well known Airline - I am flying again a few weeks time and am look forward to a viewing of Michael Moores latest item 'Capitalism - a love story'. Ahem....I'm sure it will be freely available.