Critic Reviews

Lives of Others, The (2007) Rank 2 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Lives of Others, The (2007) a score of 3.3444 out of 4

based on (144) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(68)

Very Good

(66)

Good

(10)

Fair

(0)

Poor

(0)

Reviews by Score:

Film-Forward.com (Kent Turner)

A refreshing alternative to the whimsical and nostalgic look back on Communist life in Good Bye Lenin! ...read the complete Lives of Others movie review at Film-Forward.com (Kent Turner)

Movies for the Masses (Joseph Proimakis)

It's so beautifully made, that people tend to oversee it's weak character transformation that's at the heart of the script, which strikes the drama's credibility. ...read the complete Lives of Others movie review at Movies for the Masses (Joseph Proimakis)

Haro Online

The Lives of Others just got a shot of free publicity by winning the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. This award continues a streak of wins, including 7 German Film Awards (in most major categories), 4 additional nominations, and a slew of other ...read the complete Lives of Others movie review at Haro Online

Newsday (Jan Stuart)

Rich in authentic period atmosphere and performances, but sabotages its best efforts with a sentimental payoff. ...read the complete Lives of Others movie review at Newsday (Jan Stuart)

Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)

Writer-director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's movie about the stirring of a cold, Communist soul manages to be both painstakingly docudramatic and moistly idealistic at the same time. ...read the complete Lives of Others movie review at Toronto Star (Geoff Pevere)

Boulder Weekly (Thomas Delapa)

Though likely cathartic for his countrymen, Donnersmarck's airing of German dirty laundry could have used more agitation. ...read the complete Lives of Others movie review at Boulder Weekly (Thomas Delapa)

Slant Magazine

Though The Lives of Others is the film debut of Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, it clearly articulates both the thirtysomething German director's technical facility and his understanding of palatably packaged cultural history as the safest road to the ...read the complete Lives of Others movie review at Slant Magazine

Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)

Sporadically interesting but primarily dull, The Lives of Others revolves around several characters as they attempt to navigate the treacherous and thoroughly paranoid waters of the former East Berlin - with the emphasis placed on a loyal Stasi agent ...read the complete Lives of Others movie review at Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)

LA Weekly (Scott Foundas)

The Lives of Others wants us to see that the Stasi -- at least some of them -- were, like their Gestapo brethren, â��just following orders." You can call that naive optimism on Donnersmarck's part, or historical revisionism of the sort duly lambasted by ...read the complete Lives of Others movie review at LA Weekly (Scott Foundas)

Exclaim!

Heâ��s Gerd Weisler (Ulrich Muhe), a lonely surveillance man who seems disconnected from both his own existence and the people whose lives heâ��s hired to ruin. Like Harry Caul in The Conversation, heâ��s a man with no life beyond his job and no way of ...read the complete Lives of Others movie review at Exclaim!

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