The Lives of Others (2006)

I've been sitting in front of the blank screen for quite some time, trying to figure out the proper words to express how much I love this movie. Quite frankly, I don't think I can do it.

The story concerns Georg Dreyman, a German playwright, and the secret service officer charged by a high-ranking official with monitoring every sound in his apartment. It's obvious the SS agent loves his work -- he believes in what he's doing and is quite good at finding hidden truth. He knows deception when he hears it so, conversely, he recognizes the honesty of what he hears in Dreyman's home. He's rather like Javert (and I consider that the highest of praise).

It's a masterpiece, all the way to the very last line -- perfect.

A+