This is a charming, well made and, fundamentally, sweet little film. Some viewers might be disturbed by the fact that what the film’s protagonist, Alex, does is arguably disturbed and selfish. But it is also understandable. What Alex is trying to do is protect his mother. He doesn’t think she will be able to take the shock of learning that East Germany has collapsed while she has been in a coma, so he goes to great lengths to hide this from her. This leads to some entertaining turns, some unexpected discoveries, and interesting riffs on what we should expect of those we love, and whether or not we should hide hard truths from them. The entire ensemble turns in strong performances, and the director does a fine job too, even if one or two moments (such as the anti-East German protests) are not especially believable. I recommend this film.
Posted by armand at February 23, 2005 10:28 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Movies