Film review | Berlinale 2024
"Good Bye, Lenin": a subtle and moving comedy

This film review was created in collaboration with the baccalaureate class of the Collège Maisonneuve. They are going to the Berlin Film Festival this year and the young film enthusiasts are writing reviews afterwards. Beforehand, they studied the German Berlinale classic Good Bye, Lenin:

By Victoria César

When Alex's mother wakes up from her eight-month coma, Alex does everything he can to keep it from her that the Berlin Wall has fallen and Germany has been completely transformed by the changes. His mother was active in the communist party and Alex fears that she might suffer a heart attack at this news. Alex therefore decides to make her believe that nothing has changed since she fell over. With the help of his relatives, he recreates the communist Germany of that time, which involves a great deal of effort.

A good mix of humor and emotion

Light and entertaining, Good Bye, Lenin contains subtle humorous interludes that raise a smile. Alex's persistent efforts to hide the truth from his mother are both funny and touching. Some of his ideas are as extravagant as they are foolish. His bizarre lies are revealing: Confessing the truth is hard when it hurts a loved one. The movie shows an ordinary family whose relationships are affected by politics and secrets. The sensitive and vulnerable sides of the characters are revealed through their affection for each other, especially the mother-son relationship.

Berlin from a new perspective

The movie gives a refreshing new take on the German capital. The city is portrayed before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, an incisive event that turned society upside down. Good Bye, Lenin shows historic Berlin and its inhabitants, with nostalgic impressions.