Good Night, and Good Luck

I saw Good Night, and Good Luck on November 6th, so here is a late and brief review.

In short, excellent film. Director and star George Clooney does a magnificent job of taking us to the time period and it really feels like you're peeking into the actual event instead of watching a movie about it. The black and white, mixed with the constant swirling of cigarette smoke that seems to permeate most of the film, gives it a gritty yet realistic feel. The script and dialogue are all top notch and very naturalistic, adding to the documentary-esque feel to the minimalist presentation.

The cast is also outstanding. Clooney actually turns in a -- dare I say -- understated performance and is quite comfortable not being the center of the story. Everyone else from Jeff Daniels to Frank Langella is equally fitting to their roles. The real star, of course, is David Strathairn. I haven't seen much footage of the real Edward R. Murrow, but it is apparent that Strathairn put alot of effort into capturing his charisma, professionalism, and plain larger than life presence. He completely vanishes within the role. It would be a great disservice if Strathairn didn't pick up at least a nod come this February for his performance.

If I had any complaints, it was that the film was too short. At 93 minutes, it just rockets by. The fact that the story is so strong and the performances so incredible doesn't help either, as you become so pulled in you won't even think once of the time. It's a good thing though, as the filmmakers chose to simply tell the story with as little exposition as possible, so that you are focused on the event itself as if you were watching it unfold in real time on the television. Some old vintage commercials strewn about help convey this as well.

This is a terrific film and anyone with any interest in historical subjects -- especially one as important and relevant as this one -- should see this. Let's hope it gets recognition come Oscar time.