Movie Recommendation

I just got back from seeing The Lives of Others, which is, wow, the preview doesn't do it justice, but go watch it anyway. Setting: East Berlin, 1984. The premise: "devoted Stasi officer and expert interrogator Wiesler is given the job of collecting evidence against the famous playwright Georg Dreyman."

It's a long movie— just over two hours— but it somehow manages to maintain the high level of intensity established in the first sequence. I hate long movies, but this one flew by. (Admittedly I had to pee halfway through, but when don't I have to pee? My bladder has a ninety minute capacity after a cup of tea.)

I believe I had my hands over my mouth in an "oh my god oh my god" gesture for the entire final twenty minutes. Ah! I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but it's taking all my willpower not to talk about it. Go! Go see it so we can discuss it!

On a related-but-not-spoilery note, I also saw a preview for The Valet, from the writer/director of The Dinner Game (very funny) and The Closet (hysterical). God bless the French and their slightly off-beat sense of humor. I'll be at the theater with bells on when it opens in Chicago.

Late-Breaking Addition: an NPR interview with the writer/director. Extremely interesting and well-worth the listen.