Goodnight, And Good Luck.
GOODNIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
by Shawn Snead / November 8th, 2005
In Goodnight, and Good Luck., writer/director George Clooney goes back to the early years of broadcast journalism. He goes back to a pioneer in the field, Edward R. Murrow (played by David Strathairn), and Murrow's infamous battle with U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy was notorious for his ruthless, aggressive investigations of people in the U.S. government and others suspected of being Communists or Communist sympathizers. The controversy rattled a nation from 1950 to 1958, a time known as 'McCarthyism' or 'The Red Scare,' because of McCarthy's unjust witch hunts.
Goodnight, and Good Luck.,Clooney's second directorial effort, is shot entirely in black and white, with a lot of actual footage blending into the film, essentially recreating 1953. The film is a taut, tense 90 minutes of docudrama. It doesn't go much deeper into its characters than CBS and the McCarthy story, nor does it need to. This isn't a biopic of Edward R. Murrow, it's an authentic slice of 1953. For much of the film, you don't even realize you're watching a movie. That is due, in part, to the astounding acting.
Led by a phenomenal David Strathairn as Murrow, the entire cast becomes this CBS team. Strathairn is Murrow. Plain and simple. He inhabits Murrow in such a way that is rarely seen. He's sure to be a force during this year's Oscar race. Jeff Daniels, Frank Langella, Ray Wise, and Clooney himself, all give strong supporting performances.
Goodnight, and Good Luck. is a retrospective film. However, it may provide the greatest current social commentary in many years. It's also probably the most patriotic film in many years. Representing the freedoms and liberties that this country was forged on, as today, we only see them whittle away. Edward Murrow's courage to stand up for fairness and justice is rarely, if ever, seen in today's world.
Clooney doesn't have to rely on petty politics or propaganda to get the point of this film across, as many do. He relied on the truth. He relied on Edward Murrow's spirit of patriotism. Clooney didn't need to do much with the film, complicating things and such. He brings us a beautiful, classically made picture that stands as one of the very best of the year. But most importantly, he brings this story back into the spotlight, and into the minds of the people. And for that, I thank him.
Goodnight. And, Good Luck.
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Warner Independent Pictures
Running Time: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief language.
Release Date: Friday, October 7th, 2005 (limited, wide on Nov. 4th)
Viewed: Tuesday, November 8th, 2005
Starring David Strathairn (Edward R. Murrow), George Clooney (Fred Friendly), Robert Downey Jr (Joe Wershba), Patricia Clarkson (Shirley Wershba), Ray Wise (Don Hollenbeck), Frank Langella (William Paley), Jeff Daniels (Sig Michelson)
Produced By Grant Heslov, Simon Franks, Kiyotaka Ninomiya
Written By George Clooney & Grant Heslov
Directed By George Clooney
posted by Shawn Snead @ 11/08/2005 07:53:00 PM
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