The Good German Details

Gripping

I have always been pretty impressed with Soderbergh (ain’t seen Ocean’s 12 so don’t hold that statement against me, please); I think Clooney has a lot to offer even if he isn’t the greatest actor on the planet; and I’m a minor Tobey Maguire fangirl, I don’t think we have seen all that he is capable of and he makes interesting choices. I’m not a fan of black and white films, nor film noir particularly. Have never been able to sit through The Maltese Falcon of Double Indemnity, for example, so I wasn’t mad to see it for that reason.

Now, the general critical consensus seems to be that The Good German is a brave attempt, an interesting experiment that has missed its mark. I say: poppycock. The Good Soldier gripped me the whole way through and I enjoyed it much more than expected. It’s much more than an interesting experiment, it is quite genuinely A Very Good Film. The layers of the mystery peel away in a measured and tantalising way; there are wry laughs; twists and gasps; great locations; sharp attitude; wonderful music and it looks absolutely ravishing.

And, to those who would compare this to Casablanca or The Third Man, again I say: poppycock. It’s no more relevant than comparing Unforgiven to High Noon. Using that logic we would never have had Chinatown (which would make a great double bill with The Good German, by the way). And if you hold that the only point of making a black and white film using period-appropriate technology in 2007 is to make it better than before: Soderbergh has proven that there are only two kinds of film: good and bad. Whether the film is black and white or colour; shot on location or sound-stage; filled with pyrotechnics and special effects or a couple of alley brawls; 120 minutes or 190 – it makes no odds if the heart isn’t there. The Good Soldier may not have the lasting appeal and cultural impact of Casablanca, but it’s a darn sight more enjoyable, creative and provocative than hundreds of colour films on general release this year or last.

One bum note – potentially controversial – I do not rate Cate Blanchett. She’s just another big ham, she’s all cold technique and no emotion, she keeps the characters she plays at arm’s length and telegraphs all the she’s up to. She just does not do it for me. Having said that, her style suits this picture remarkably well. She’s melodramatic and bereft of any humour and quite self conscious but it does work. However, she uses a dreadful super-deep femme fatale voice which is like a bad French & Saunders parody saying things like ‘you can nefah leaf Berlin’ in tones dredged up from her boots.

Lastly, I would say it might take the first few scenes to get used - if you like - to the idiom and the visual language of the whole thing, because it looks so spot-on that the temptation is to think of it as a piss-take but get over that and you’ll be sold.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Dull

I preferred the prequal 'Watching paint dry' it was far more exciting. However if you need a cure for insomnia this is the one for you, get it out if your mother in law is comming for tea .she won't stay long once this is put on.........