The fall of the Berlin Wall and then the reunification of Germany is a pretty significant event of the past 20 years. What better to do with a major event like this? Of course, make a movie out of it! Fortunately, however, director Wolfgang Becker has not gone in with a heightened political agenda normally associated with films of these flavours, but rather the intention to tell a solid story in a volatile period.

Alex shooting his pilot for the German edition of 'A Current Affair'.

In the socialist state of East Berlin, riots rage through the streets and political demonstrations run rampant. There are very few that are complacent with the division of Germany, and those that aren’t spare at nothing to let their voice be known. Alex (Daniel Brühl) participates in what begins as a friendly demonstration, however with the arrival of riot-police, quickly turns into a violent and generally nasty affair. Accidentally driving through the riot-stricken area is Christiane, Alex’s mother (Kathrin Sass) who watches him as he’s beaten and hauled away by police. She faints as Alex is driven away in a police convoy, and falls into a coma. Alex’s mother is nothing short of fierce in her political stance; openly supporting, embracing and praising her communist leaders and their views. It isn’t surprising to see that she’s shocked that her seemingly loyal son has deviated from her plight against capitalism.

For over eight months Christiane lay, helpless, in a coma unable to watch the eventual crumbling of the German Democratic Republic she held so dear. As the wall fell, reuniting Germany once again, so did the old ways of East Germany – heralding in the westernised commercialism and brand names. Coca-Cola emblems now filled the streets where monuments of past socialist leaders stood.

Against all medial odds, Christiane regains consciousness. Not remembering the events leading up to her collapse, she still believes her beloved GDR hold power and that nothing has changed. The medical staff assisting Christiane insist to Alex that another heart-attack, similar to the one that caused her coma, would kill her. The only way to save her is from protecting her against anything unusual, anything strange, anything that would surprise or hurt her. And there we begin! Alex must re-create an elaborate world in which nothing has changed, to ensure his mother remains safe and healthy. As Goodbye Lenin! develops, what began as a ‘little white lie’ turns into something far more serious.

Director/screenwriter Wolfgang Becker proves his skills remarkably well throughout Goodbye Lenin!. This is a film that inevitably pushes a particular social-commentary, however it is done so with subtle innovation rather than as a shameless plug. In comparison to the likes of No Man’s Land or Animal Farm, this film is a brilliant exercise in political restraint especially when you consider the subject matter at hand.

Half-statue of Vladimir Lenin floating past your window: $500,000

There are some delightfully charming moments of comedy throughout the film, and while I wouldn’t label it a comedy as say Dodgeball is labelled a comedy, it still maintains to be quite quirky and upbeat. Balancing more serious moments with some great sequences that’ll challenge you not to laugh out loud. The intelligent screenplay provides ample room for a wide audience, presenting the higher humour found in the likes of The Barbarian Invasions, as well as the lower slapstick styled visual humour found in your average comedy. As well as that, the wide variety of characters featured will certainly benefit, providing just a little bit extra in the way of connecting with its audience. Goodbye Lenin! then ends on a note that leaves its audience content and resolved. Its only fault lies in its pace and running-time, which could have been edited down for the benefit of the less patient members of its audience.

With its great performances and intelligent screenplay, Goodbye Lenin! proves itself to be an excellent film. It’s moving, funny, occasionally thought-provoking and generally entertaining. Constant comparisons between this film and Amelie are drawn (which probably doesn’t do Goodbye Lenin! any favours) as they are both excellent mixes of drama and comedy. Both films too feature brilliant scores from French composer Yann Tiersen. Those who particularly enjoyed Amelie are sure to takes something away from Goodbye Lenin!.

In terms of the video transfer, Madman have reproduced something of quite high quality. Generally speaking, the transfer is ideal. Black levels remain solid, colours well balanced as often indoor scenes are very muted and outdoor scenes nice and vibrant. The general level of detail is the only serious concern, as often background objects will appear blurred or distorted – as if not focussed properly. There is some very minor aliasing present that I only found on my second viewing. Absolutely no print-damage or film artefacts to speak of, which was great news.

The realisation that communism isn't all its cracked up to be: Priceless

The German Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack supplied is excellent, making full use of the surround channels as well as proficient use of the subwoofer. This is basically a dialogue-driven film, so it’s great to see the fantastic effort that has gone into this soundtrack. Yann Tiersen’s beautiful score often fills each channel, which serves to heighten the enjoyment to be found in this film. There is also a German 2.0 soundtrack available, that will benefit those without a proper six-speaker HT setup. This stereo mix brings a lot of the music back to the front speakers, which the film suffers without.

Unfortunately the extras are quite sparse. This is a shame considering the two audio-commentaries and extra featurettes found on overseas releases.

Sunset seems to always herald a time of reflection... Hmmm...

A useless making-of featurette that runs at under two minutes is the main extra-feature. Some behind the scenes work is simply edited together, with a touch of background music (no commentary at all). As well as that are theatrical and teaser trailers for the film, neither are 16:9 enhanced. There is a sequence from the film in which Alex enters a night-club; an extended music-only clip is presented as a music video on the DVD. As per all Madman releases, six of their trailers for upcoming releases are featured. Three rather silly easter eggs are to be found, but they’re for you to find!

This is a great little film, that is well worth grabbing for some genuine entertainment. Smart, well-constructed and interesting. Madman’s release is decent, but will disappoint fans who would have been interested in a number of the extras found on overseas releases. A great audio soundtrack, and a relatively adequate video transfer round off the disc.