Lives Of Others, The

In East Berlin in the 1980s, an operative for the state (Ulrich Muhe) finds a conscience and his soul when he is assigned to uncover some derogatory information about a popular playwright (Sebastian Koch), who seems, on the surface, to be apolitical. Tense, emotionally explosive drama, one that you will long remember. Muhe, who died of cancer in July of 2007, gives a shattering performance.