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"Good Night" a great night at the movies |
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Written by MICHAEL JAMES ALLEN
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Friday, 21 October 2005 |
In George Clooney’s "Good Night and Good Luck," a haggardly maniacal Joseph McCarthy barks out accusations of communist conspiracy to anyone who dares oppose his methods. McCarthy, in plain terms, ends up coming across as a lunatic, heading a witch hunt that is more concerned with spreading fear across the nation than it is with getting its information right.
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"Good Night and Good Luck"
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 Entertainment
Art
Written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov
Directed by George Clooney
Starring David Strathairn, Robert Downey, Jr., and George Clooney
Rated PG for mild thematic elements, and brief language
Released October 21, 2005
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That the senator plays himself (shown entirely in archival footage) is just one of many examples of how this brilliant film explores the integrity of the media’s devotion to reporting the news; something that, at times, can be much more difficult than it seems.
The news in question is the show “See It Now,” which ran on CBS during the 1950s, and the newsman is Edward R. Murrow (played here with a dry, simple perfection by David Strathairn). During the height of the Red Scare, Murrow devoted several of his programs to debunking McCarthy’s methods and, by doing this, helped contribute to McCarthy’s eventual downfall.
The genius of the film is its ability to present this story without a lot of added pomp and circumstance. The story is what it is, and it’s a real credit to Clooney that he just lets it unfold, rather than dropping hints as to how the audience should feel. The film does not lay out an agenda but, instead, stresses the importance of debate. It’s a smart movie (an increasingly rare thing these days), one that assumes its audience is smart enough to make up their own minds.
The film also looks gorgeous, but manages to do so without compromising its realism. If anything, the fact that the film is shot in a simple but elegant black and white helps give off the feeling that you’re watching something that actually happened. I don’t know how many liberties, if any, George Clooney and his co-writer, Grant Heslov, took with the actual story, but if any were made, it’d be a pretty hard task to point them out. The film drips with class and integrity. If this review sounds like I’m just dumping heaps of praise on the film and its makers, then it deserves every last bit of it. "Good Night and Good Luck" is, without a doubt, one of the smartest, and best, films of the year. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
