This Other Winner

The Modern examines secret lives on-screen

Comments (0) By Glenna Whitley Thursday, Mar 22 2007

More About

Germany's The Lives of Others won the Best Foreign Language category at this year's Oscars, but in a fair world, it would have won Best Picture over Martin Scorsese's blood-soaked game of cat and mouse in The Departed. It begins in 1984 in East Berlin when spying by the Stasi, the secret police, is taken for granted. Captain Gerd Weisler—a brilliant interrogator—is given the assignment of watching a writer and his beautiful girlfriend, an actress. While eavesdropping, Weisler gets drawn into the inner lives of people who live for art and beauty. His dedication to the Socialist state begins to crumble, and he's profoundly changed, even as the lives of those he spies on are changed. A quiet thriller—if such a thing is possible—The Lives of Others sneaks up on the viewer and when violence happens, the tragedy is real instead of cartoonish. Experience its brilliance as part of the Magnolia at the Modern, an ongoing series featuring critically acclaimed films, Friday through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St. Tickets are $7.50, $5.50 for Modern members. For showtimes and details call 817-738-9215 or visit themodern.org/magnolia.
Fridays-Sundays. Starts: March 23. Continues through April 1