Good Night And Good Luck on DVD (2005)

Exquisite...

ATfilmcritic from London , 02/11/2005

Who would have thought? Pretty boy ‘Gorgeous George’ Clooney, man of ER fame (and Batman & Robin infamy) has made one of the best films of the last few years.

'Good Night, and Good' Luck is quite simply extraordinary. Clooney’s direction is crisp, wry and intelligent, his writing taut, and his overall vision has resulted in a unique and unforgettable cinematic experience.

Tackling the McCarthy witch-hunt from the standpoint of a CBS newsroom, this is a historical film loaded with relevance for today’s heated political climate. Some might argue that the film’s view is too narrow, that we learn next to nothing about the characters’ private lives.

But that would be looking at it the wrong way: 'Good Night, and Good Luck' is a rare thing. It is a movie that knows exactly what it wants to do, and does it, brilliantly. Loaded with superb performances, exquisitely shot in black and white, this is the movie event of the year.

See it. You won’t regret it.

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Cigarettes kill you....

Milo from Shrewsbury, UK , 24/01/2006

What a find this film is! George Clooney matures as a director in his second outing. Filmed in no thrills B&W this story really captures an era. Almost every scene features a cigarette or two, and it really adds to the ambience. Look out for the authentic Kent cigarettes commercial – it’s superb. The sleazy score is fabulous and Strathairn gives a stunning performance as the crusading Edward Murrow - well supported by Clooney & Robert downey Jnr. Interspersed with real footage of McCarthy, the film shows just how TV has the power to help educate and manipulate the masses. A joy to watch - don't let the dry subject matter put you off. Oscars all round (if there's any justice!).

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Good strong political cinema

McClennan from St Helens , 01/03/2006

You've probably heard a lot of good things about this and it is very good indeed. If you've read any reviews you'll know how the film works and the style of the film making is good and fits the film very well. Where the film's strength lies is in its relevance to the current political climate and, to me, that's what I found to be excellent about it. Having the same kind of tension and anticipation as similar journalistic films, the attention isn't really directed towards the ethics of the journalists as much, as more towards the politicians, suggesting that it was the right thing to do, rather than pushing them forward as great American heroes, which it could have been in someone else's hands. Unlike Crash, where the film didn't really capture the essence of what it was trying to say, this film does in as simple a way as it's presented on film, but with the same sledgehammer effect.

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Vital viewing

Alfod from Walsall , 30/03/2007

How great would it be if George Clooney was the president of America? Having loved his directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, it was inevitable that i'd catch up with this sophomore offering eventually and now I can't wait for his romcom Leatherheads. Good Night and Good Luck was originally conceived as a live broadcast special, and the black and white otherworldliness of 50s America is successfully captured (if you ignore the minor point of the modern day water bottle on the table in one scene). As in Confessions, Clooney takes a minor role here, playing producer Fred W. Friendly to David Strathairn's broadcaster Edward R. Murrow. The Joseph McCarthy reds under the bed witchhunts are in full swing and as a responsible journalist Murrow takes issue with the disregard the senator has for giving those he accuses of 'Unamerican' activities the right to a fair trial. Actual footage of McCarthy is essential for the authenticity of the piece and it's clear that a lot of work has gone into ensuring that the historical details relayed in the movie are above reproach (now there's irony for anyone wrong-headed enough to be a McCarthy supporter). I first heard of the man via R.E.M.'s long player Document from 1987 and indeed Joseph Welch's Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency? makes an appearance in the movie. The song illuminates the parallel between the red-baiting of McCarthy's time and the strengthening of the sense of American exceptionalism during the Reagan era. Clooney's film adds the Bush era to the mix and at the end of the movie you find yourself pondering the fact that the lessons that went unlearnt in the Fifties still remain unlearnt today. Vital viewing. Good Night and Good Luck indeed.

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Pretty but lacking

A customer from London, England , 11/03/2007

I like to think I am a pretty intelligent film fan - I tend to prefer art-house and european cinema but this one had been priased by the critics so I gave it a go. It IS a great looking film, the hair make-up and wardrobe are fantastic giving a real period feel to it. I wondered if it could have gone further and tried to look more a documentary of the time, some of the editing distracted from this feel at times for me. I also wondered why we only saw two characters at home and what the point of that storyline was. But in the end the feeling I came away with was that I had learnt nothing new, either about myself, the era, the current political climate. There were much more interesting stories during the McCarthy era, stories about real people being forced out of their jobs on hearsay evidence and having no right to a fair trial. This was touched on but what a powerful film their stories would have made - ordainary people not supported by CBS trying to hang on to their lives. Nice cinematogrpahy, believeable writing and performances just needed a bit more of something to really grip for me.

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A powerful indictment of political paranoia

Michael from Kendal, Cumbria , 26/02/2007

A film of deep integrity and understated power, reflecting the central character of Ed Murrow himself. Brilliant performance from David Strathairn with a fine supporting cast. Serious filmmaking about a serious subject, it nevertheless holds the viewer's attention throughout. Enlightening and thought provoking.

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