Good Bye, Lenin!

Starring:Daniel BrÃ¼hl, Katrin SaÃŸ, Chulpan Khamatova, Maria Simon, Florian Lukas, Alexander Beyer, Burghart KlauÃŸner, Michael Gwisdek, Christine Schorn, JÃ¼rgen Holtz, Jochen Stern, Stefan Walz, Eberhard Kirchberg, Hans-Uwe Bauer, Nico Ledermueller, Jelena Kratz, Laureen Hatscher, Felicitas Hatscher, Martin Brambach, Michael Gerber
Director: Wolfgang Becker (II)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Contemporary comedies rarely stretch themselves beyond a bickering romantic couple or a bickering couple and a bucket of bodily fluids, which makes the ambition and intelligence of Good bye, Lenin! not simply entertaining but downright refreshing. The movie starts in East Germany before the fall of communism; our hero, Alex (Daniel Bruhl), describes how his mother (Katrin Sass), a true believer in the communist cause, has a heart attack when she sees him being clubbed by police at a protest. She falls into a coma for eight months--during which the Berlin Wall comes down. When she awakens, her fragile health must avoid any shocks, so Alex creates an illusive reality around his bedridden mother to convince her that communism is still alive. Good bye, Lenin! delicately balances wry satire with its rich investment in the lives of Alex, his mother, and other characters around them. Funny, moving, and highly recommended. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

The beginning of the end.......2007-06-19

Before the Berlin Wall fell, East Germany is ruled by Communist Russia and its citizens were forced to live a lie- a society that is supposed to be based on equality and social justice. Alex Kernel (played by the amazing Daniel Brühl) is a young disillusioned young man who, together with his fellow East Germans, are on the verge of a revolution and social change.

While walking together with fellow rallyist, Alex was arrested and his mother, who witnessed the scene, suffered a heart attack. While his mother survived, it left her in a coma and for 8 months, Alex and his older sister Ariane took care of her. As East Germany became no more and the reunification of his homeland was completed, his mother woke up. What follows is a hilarious, amusing and at times serious and thought-provoking attempt to shield his mother from the sweeping changes and their altered life as citizens of the newly unified Germany.

Director Wolfgang Becker spared no expense to capture a time and place that now exist only in old, yellowed newspapers and history books. The finished product, a film that is not only a realistic social commentary but also a love story between a son and a mother, and the journey a young restless soul need to travel to discover himself.

Good Bye, Lenin!.......2007-05-29

Funny and heart-warming story about a family during the time of the collapse of the Berlin wall. For the whole family.

High Grade Art. .......2007-05-21

I first heard about this movie a week ago after reading an article in which a commentator described it as being a bit of "communist chic." This intrigued me so I had to check it out. Well, I'm happy to report that the fellow's opinion was nonsense. It's no more accurate a perception than one that misconstrued The Beatles "Back in the USSR" as an ode to the Soviet Union. This is not a propagandistic story in the least. It's a beautiful film about love, family, and truth. Basically, the central question concerns whether or not we should lie to loved ones if we think the lie will ultimately benefit them. The answer is not easy for the main characters or the audience. Goodbye, Lenin! provides us with ambiguity after ambiguity and is rife with the same nuance that fills our own lives. I saw nothing offensive about this film; indeed, it is a valuable work of art.

A world of change.......2007-05-17

This movie represents in a very interesting way the changes that drive our world and our families. The molding of reality to fit certain likings is a very appropiate evocation of history. A very funny and tragic movie!

Neat Movie.......2007-05-12

This movie gave a lot of insight to the way that the East Germans were feeling that crazy time before the wall came down. For a few different generations.

Average customer rating:

The beginning of the end
Good Bye, Lenin!
High Grade Art.
A world of change
Neat Movie

Good Bye Lenin! [Region 2]
Starring: Daniel Brühl , Katrin Saß , Chulpan Khamatova , Maria Simon , and Florian Lukas
Director: Wolfgang Becker (II)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00008W41B

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

The beginning of the end.......2007-06-19

Good Bye, Lenin!.......2007-05-29

Funny and heart-warming story about a family during the time of the collapse of the Berlin wall. For the whole family.

High Grade Art. .......2007-05-21

A world of change.......2007-05-17

Neat Movie.......2007-05-12

This movie gave a lot of insight to the way that the East Germans were feeling that crazy time before the wall came down. For a few different generations.

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