The Story deals with the aftermath of the GDR going down and it's leader with it. As far as I can tell (from memory, not fact checking) the time line displayed is accurate, so the Movie has a certain historical value. It is laced with well placed original cut outs from the media of the time.
The few main characters are Johann, his Girlfriend Jenny and his best Friend Maik.
All Actors play their roles extremely well, and it's sad watching Johann fail as a human in the midst of trusting and friendly people.
Johann is first portrayed as nice an witty character but soon turns out to be an opportunist, lying and taking advantage of his friends,family and everyone he meets.
He feels driven to gain access to celebrities in general, with his main goal being Erich Honecker, former leader of the GDR with no remorse or regret for the consequences .
By achieving this (and being "rewarded" with the long desired position as a journalist) he is left for the viewers as a ethical questionable figure who in the end seemed to have achieved noting. He Drags Honecker into the public view, with no gain whatsoever.
Honecker is being portrait as an old, broken man. Caught up in his Solcialist-Ideas with no connection to the real world, guarded and shielded by his Wife. All but understandable from a human point of view.
Johann never really challenges Honecker with the reality (as he promised his Girlfriend), his only attempt is subtle and weak cause he fears to blow his cover too soon to get away with the grand prize.
In the end he is only a moral-less liar who conned an old man, who loses his girl and his best friend (who does not take his bribe) and moves to the west and becomes basically what the despicable Achetype of a "West-German" may look like to people of the former GDR.
The few main characters are Johann, his Girlfriend Jenny and his best Friend Maik.
All Actors play their roles extremely well, and it's sad watching Johann fail as a human in the midst of trusting and friendly people.
Johann is first portrayed as nice an witty character but soon turns out to be an opportunist, lying and taking advantage of his friends,family and everyone he meets.
He feels driven to gain access to celebrities in general, with his main goal being Erich Honecker, former leader of the GDR with no remorse or regret for the consequences .
By achieving this (and being "rewarded" with the long desired position as a journalist) he is left for the viewers as a ethical questionable figure who in the end seemed to have achieved noting. He Drags Honecker into the public view, with no gain whatsoever.
Honecker is being portrait as an old, broken man. Caught up in his Solcialist-Ideas with no connection to the real world, guarded and shielded by his Wife. All but understandable from a human point of view.
Johann never really challenges Honecker with the reality (as he promised his Girlfriend), his only attempt is subtle and weak cause he fears to blow his cover too soon to get away with the grand prize.
In the end he is only a moral-less liar who conned an old man, who loses his girl and his best friend (who does not take his bribe) and moves to the west and becomes basically what the despicable Achetype of a "West-German" may look like to people of the former GDR.