It's For Me

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2007)

Greetings again from the darkness. This won the Best Foreign Film Oscar and deservedly so. A very gripping story with interesting characters and powerful, yet subtle performances.
The three lead characters are each fascinating in such differing ways. Georg is a playwright/poet who does and says all the right things but ends up having his every move "watched" because a powerful politician lusts after his girlfriend. Georg is played wonderfully by Sebastian Koch, who was also excellent in this years' "Black Book" ... a must see for those who enjoyed this film.
Georg's girlfriend, Christa, is played by Martina Gedeck (terrific in 2001 "Mostly Martha"). The subtleties of this performance can probably only be truly appreciated upon numerous viewings.
The most interesting of all the characters is HGW, played convincingly and chillingly by Ulrich Muhe. A no-nonsense, black and white loyalist who slowly and ironically comes to appreciate life by spying on those who are a threat to liberty.
This story is so complex, yet so easy to follow ... it is an example of brilliant writing and direction. These days when so many films strive for intelligence and fall short at the end, here is a film that actually gets better for 2 hours until an almost excruciating final 10 minutes and stunning final scene. Top notch film making.