happytune and I went to see The Lives of Others. This is a German film, set in the old East Germany in the mid-eighties. A secret policeman is assigned to spy on a playwright and his actress girlfriend, and through this vicarious involvement in their life he becomes a different person. This is one of those films I don't have any hesitation in recommending: it's hard to imagine anyone not liking it. The film is very pure and clear and transparent, like water. In remembering it I am seeing it as pale grey tone, though it's not made in black and white. It's quite restrained and the emotional pace is well controlled, rising like a wave gently through the film.
The acting is very good. In particular Ulrich Mühe as the Stasi agent. The actress girlfriend is played by a very beautiful woman called Martina Gedeck, who to my chagrin I notice is almost exactly my age (about five weeks younger).
happytune's review here.