Great film on it's own -- even better (sadder) when you consider today's current parallels

Rating: 8/10 (7 March 2008)

There are too many reviews already praising this film in-depth. I just had to add that having been to Berlin a few years ago and visiting the Checkpoint Charlie museum, seeing the few remaining feet of "the Wall" and reading about the history of the city during WWII and after - I was incredibly interested in how citizens of East Germany lived during those times. (I regretted then and now DEEPLY regret not finding time to visit the Stasi archives/ museum!)
That would have been enough for a great film, but the painful reality of our current government taking away our civil rights and warrantless wiretapping it's citizens makes this resonate much more personally.
And I didn't even make the connection to the fact that the film starts in 1984 (surely a nod to Orwell) until I read some other comments.
The film does have a few minor flaws, but it has so much resonance that it becomes a great film.
p.s. I'm amused that I'm not the only one who thought the main actor resembled Kevin Spacey. I'm sorry to hear he passed away, I would have liked to see more of him.