Beautiful

Rating: 10/10 (22 November 2010)

Henkel Von Donnersmarck wrote and directed this debut. It was simply stunning. Originally I was a little hesitant to watch a German thriller and got distracted. Later I watched it alone and was blown away by it. You simply fall in love with every character. The story is rich. The performances are layered. The dialogue is subtle and convincing. The ending is moving. It made me wish that I had a life full of meaning like the characters in the movie, that I could love the way they love. You won't be able to predict the story. I would recommend this movie to anyone who cares about art. Henkel Von Donnersmarck just finished directing The Tourist; I'm excited to see what he does with it. If it's even a fraction as good as The Lives of Others, it will be another masterpiece.