The Dull Lives of Others

Rating: 6/10 (27 October 2007)

This much-praised film tells the story of a celebrity couple in East Germany being spied on by the government. Koch and Gedeck are too subdued as the couple but Muhe gives a fine performance as the man who listens in on the couple's wire-tapped apartment. The problem is that the film moves very slowly and goes on too long. While the basic premise of the story is interesting, von Donnersmarck (great name!) does little to enliven the film or tap into the potential for suspense. A more talented director could have made this into a fine thriller. A couple of key plot elements are too contrived and some of the actions of characters are unexpected and left unexplained.