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Back Shelf Beauties
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Good Night, and Good Luck Everyone will know this film as the one directed by and starring George Clooney (he even helped write the script!), but, when you see it, you realize the real star of the movie is the relatively unknown, but immensely talented, David Strathairn. Based on a true story and set in 1953 at the height of anti-Communist furor and Senator Joe McCarthy's search for communist sympathizers, Strathairn stars as the legendary CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow. While the young medium of television is becoming more trite and fluffy by the day (Murrow might keel over from a stroke if he had to watch The Simple Life with Paris Hilton, or the dueling battle between morning TV programs), Murrow and his young, ambitious team of reporters, led by producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney), try to put out the kind of hard hitting, high minded journalism he's known for via the first news magazine program in the history of TV, See It Now. Watching the specter of loyalty oaths, congressional committees driven by rumor and innuendo and mass suspicion of anyone who might think differently, Murrow is not a fan of McCarthy's showboating, his tactics and the mood of the country that results, and a good story has pulled the popular and respected newsman into the fray. The See It Now team comes across the case of Milo Radulovich - a US Air Force Lieutenant removed from service by McCarthy and deemed a security threat based on secret documents and suspicions raised because his family members read "subversive" newspapers. Murrow, already outraged by what he perceives to be a growing chill in America and an attack on what makes the country great, dives head first into the controversy, and makes enemies of many people who think he has strayed from his "balanced" style of journalism. It leads to a dramatic showdown between the two powerful figures that could result in the destruction of many people's careers and personal lives, including Murrow himself. Can Murrow take on the powerful Senator? What dirt do they have on the newsman? Clooney does a strong job of directing Good Night, and Good Luck, but it's Strathairn who has the star-making, stunning, Oscar-worthy turn. It's a very reserved performance, where Strathairn shows us how Murrow uses his brain and McCarthy's own words to take him on. We don't get blustery, screaming dialogue where Strathairn gets all red-faced in a melodramatic monologue. Instead, and rightly so, we get the slow drag on a cigarette, the intense look into the camera and the urgent monotone of Murrow's narration. It's hard bringing a legend to life, but Strathairn does it with aplomb. While the rest of the movie is full of better known and more recognizable actors, Ray Wise as TV anchor Don Hollenbeck is the best of a talented supporting cast. He perfectly captures the desperation of uneasy broadcast personalities who do not have any confidence in their abilities (I am not referencing or taking a cheap shot against anyone I know, I have always worked with great professionals). Other supporting players like Robert Downey, Jr. and Patricia Clarkson are left with less important and meaningless subplots, which is Clooney and co-writer Grant Heslov's faults. They don't give us enough background about those characters to understand why their predicament is so dramatic and dangerous. Much the same can be said for other parts of the Good Night, and Good Luck as well. Heslov and Clooney are very familiar with the issues and incidents surrounding the story, but many people in the audience will not be so informed. Clooney does a great job filming the movie in black and white, so we get drawn into the 1950's era, creates drama with words and ideas instead of tricks, music or special effects, and has some fun with an old Liberace interview that evokes giggles and guffaws from an audience more knowledgeable about Liberace's secret life, but he falls a little short in setting the table for our story. Clooney wisely chooses to use actual McCarthy footage to show us what the Senator was saying (it also avoids making another actor try to fill the shoes of the controversial and hated figure), but he fails to show us enough of the impact, and needs to improve his storytelling skills a bit to elevate the battle between Murrow and McCarthy to the battle of the titans it was, as well as describing the mood of the country at this point in time. We live in an era where every two-bit hack talk radio host and cable TV pundit tries to pick a fight with some government official or policy to get attention, so it is incumbent on Clooney and Heslov to show us why this battle was different. Also, we live in a time when anyone with a computer and an internet connection can spread their opinion without much retribution, so the idea of someone being punished for words, reading material and thoughts needs more explanation. Heslov and Clooney have some dialogue in different spots where we see the fear people live with and how they try to avoid trouble, but the audience needs more. It's a minor point in an otherwise wonderful film. Good Night, and Good Luck is another strong film from Clooney. I hope he becomes his generation's Clint Eastwood and continues to direct for years to come. He certainly has the talent. 3 ½ Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2005 - WaffleMovies.com
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