Germany had it rough in the 20 th century to put it mildly. World War I was quickly followed by World War II, after which the country was carved in two. East Germany was called the German Democratic Republic, but it was in fact a communist nation where people’s every move could be monitored if they were suspected of being against the party, not that that is so different from what modern governments do these days. “The Lives of Others” (2006) tells the story of a Stasi agent in 1984 assigned to monitor a writer to make sure he has no intention of writing anything subversive. However, as the agent listens in on their lives, he realizes there is more that meets the eyes, or in this case the ears. The 2006 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film, “The Lives of Others” ended up on plenty of critic’s top ten lists that year. My taste for foreign movies can be hit or miss depending on the genre, but seeing as this one had practically universal love, I rente...