This site has bonged the gong on Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck‘s The Lives of Others several times, but yesterday’s announcement that it won three top European Film Awards awards — Best Picture, Best Actor (Ulrich Muhe) and Best Screenwriter (von Donnersmarck) — brings it to the fore again.
This Sony Pictures Classics release has the current of greatness in it — a subdued but passionate story, arresting specificity of observation and recreation in every last department, superb acting (Sebastian Koch and Martina Gedeck especially), ripe adult sexuality and a truly heartening finale.
Pedro Almodovar‘s Volver also cleaned up at the European Film Awards — Pedro for Best Drector, Penelope Cruz for Best Actress, Jos√É∆í√Ǭ© Luis Alcaine for Best Cinematography, Alberto Iglesias for Best Musical Score as well as the recipient of the People’s Choice Award for Best European Film.