Sky Plus, German Movies and Idiots on the Tube

The Lives of Others

First of all I want to get off my chest how awesome Sky Plus is. Its one of those inventions that are just so perfect that they slot into your life with ease, and before you know it, you wonder how you ever managed without it. I’ve used Sky Plus before at other peoples houses so understood the concept, but the new place I live at has it installed, and having just had the movie package activated, I now UNDERSTAND its potential. And Sky Movie package isn’t like it used to be when we had way back when as a kid. There used to be two movie channels, and they would launch a new movie every week, and then rotate, so you could watch Sky Movies for a week, and you’d have seen every film they have to offer. Nowadays there are about 20 different movie channels, as well as another ten channels like E4 and More4 that show movies too. So what I’m getting at is, there is just such a massive array of movies you can see on a day to day basis, that you would physically never get to see every film you wanted that they show. So with Sky Plus, I can just give a quick scan through the movies of the day, pick which ones I want to see, and bingo, they record for me to watch at my leisure.

 Therein lies the real beauty. I’m an avid movie watcher, but watching movies has its limitations. I LOVE going to the cinema, the atmosphere, the trailers, the spectacle, the headaches from too many sugary sweets, the lot. But… it’s expensive, especially in London (my favourite cinema at the millennium dome is £6 even for students). So many many movies that I read about in reviews or Empire that interest me, simply slip through the net. I can’t afford it, or couldn’t be bothered to go at the time. So now the net tightens with Sky Plus, many movies I wouldn’t go to the cinema to see, or missed them or never got from the video shop, are now at my fingertips, all down to this little grey electronic box. Hallelujah. Sat on the Sky Plus memory as we speak are films as diverse as The Lives Of Others, Lady In The Water, The Hitcher (the remake) and Annie Hall. All movies I want to see, but not enough to hit the video store, or to stay up late at night to catch on TV.

 

So in getting to my point…The Lives Of Others. The German winner of the “Best Foreign Language Film” Oscar in 2007, is a worthy winner. The film is a tale of Espionage in East Germany in the 1980’s. It follows a surveillance agent for the government who is to spy on an eminent writer and his glamorous actress partner. The agent gains a conscience and begins to question the regimes motives and ethics, and gets drawn into a dangerous game. To say this is a debut directing and screenwriting effort from Florian Henckel Von Donnesmarck is astonishing. The screenplay is excellent, tautly paced with stunning twists and turns, which leave you on the edge of your seat throughout. The pace slows for the final ten minutes following the resolution of the story, but those last ten minutes are filled with tender moments which deserve to be shown, and which many other directors may have left out for the audience to ponder. But the director is obviously very fond of his characters and so gives them the denoument they deserve. The film is also beautifully lit, and gives a very somber tone to the film reflecting the mood of the overall piece. The acting is top class throughout as well, with star turns from Ulrich Muhe and Sebastien Koch being the highlights in a stunning ensemble piece.

 So In Conclusion…

 You should invest two hours in seeing this movie if you get the chance, obviously its subtitled, so may not be to everyones taste, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Something as expertly plotted as this makes you jealous that you couldn’t have written it yourself!

 5/5

 

 

On another note entirely…

 

A friend of mine has a theory that 85% of people, in general, are either rude, ignorant or downright simple. I happen to agree with this, and nowhere is this more obvious to me, than on public transport and on the tube even more so. It’s probably because it’s so cramped, that people’s glaring inadequacies and simpleton foibles are so clear to me. My personal pet hate on the tube is the buttons that say “Open” and indeed “Close” next to the door on the tube carriage. These buttons found on any other train in the country will clearly open and close the doors when needed. In London, on the tube, they don’t. The doors open automatically. They always have done, and will do everyday from 6am til 12.30am (or whenever the first and last tubes are).

 So… to the guy who barged me from behind, tutting, to press said “Open” button next to the door when the tube had pulled into Mile End station, and the doors didn’t open immediately….

 YOU’RE A STUPID PRICK

 We all want to get off the tube mate, it’s not comfy being packed in there, it’s certainly not an amenable temperature, but those buttons DO FUCK ALL. Anyone who has been on the tube more than once knows that.

 

Glad that’s off my chest anyway.

 

Anyway, back tomorrow with Dark Knight review.

 (just don’t barge me on the tube do press a pointless button or I may have to get my patented Bat-Idiot Repellant-Spray out and douse you)