Review of Balloon

This movie is amazing on multiple levels. There is for one (which might explain some bad reviews) the fact that a wonderful comedian/actor/producer and director of incredible funny movies/TV shows managed to create a thriller, and not just any thriller, but a political, historical, based on true events thriller, which is authentic, believable and moving. I love Michael Herbig most for his funny stuff, but one cannot deny his bandwidth as an actor and director, his acting in the thriller Four against the bank was hilarious, his movie Buddy was heartwarming and touching, but still: his genius mostly shows in his comedy stuff - so far. Now he brought the true story of two families on the big screen (a story that I was familiar with for pretty much all my life since the families settled down in a neighbortown in the 80ies and I remember the repair shop of one of them - I also remember the border and the depressing atmosphere there/where many people died - shot trying to escape). And this story is a gripping one. You wouldn't believe it if it wasn't true. A story about families, about a misanthropic system (where people on each side were victims pretty much), a torn country and most of all, of course, a sensational escape. A lot of suspense, a lot of great actors (including a handsome Thomas Kretschmann - who escaped the GDR in 1983 himself - turned into an ugly secret police agent and performing (creepily and) brilliantly), a great eye for (historical) details - if you want to know some of the burdens that happened to (white, European, non-Nazi) Germans (yes, they had to suffer, too) after the war, this is an entertaining, thrilling, moving, accurate way of doing it. Highly recommendable. A history lesson that is also a thriller - what else can you wish for.