He Said, She Said
Good Night, And Good Luck
Screenplay written by George Clooney, Grant Heslov
Actors: David Strahairn, George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr.,
Patricia Clarkson, Ray Wise, Frank Langella
Directed by: George Clooney
Rated: PG (Mild thematic elements and brief language)
He Said, She Said
Good Night, And Good Luck
Screenplay written by George Clooney, Grant Heslov
Actors: David Strahairn, George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Ray Wise, Frank Langella
Directed by: George Clooney
Rated: PG (Mild thematic elements and brief language)
In the 1950s, broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow (David Strahairn) is a popular and respected news commentator and reporter working for the Columbia Broadcast System (CBS). Under the corporate leadership of William Paley (Frank Langella) who is ultimately responsible for the news and editorial content broadcasted on CBS, the respected Murrow becomes a controversial figure and political target when he and his dedicated staff willingly endure corporate and senate political pressure by publicly questioning the fear tactics used by Wisconsin Senator Joe McCarthy (Palmer Williams) to root out Communist sympathizers. “Good Night, And Good Luck” shows how Murrow’s televised commentary fuels a national conversation and political debate, at great personal risk, because of his moral and professional obligation to daringly expose McCarthy’s unlawful and immoral methods to create a fearful national environment jeopardizing the civil liberties of U.S. citizens guaranteed by the constitution.
He Said:
Director George Clooney gets high points from me for the way he submerged his audience so well in this textured film noir. “Good Night, And Good Luck” put me square in the mid-century in feel, tone, and content. From the clean lines of the strikingly distinctive sets, to the phrasing of words and capturing the nuances in the pre-warning-label days of cigarette smoking, I was truly in another era in time and thought. I especially liked his use of historical archived film footage to give the film the feel of authenticity. David Strahairn’s Murrow was riveting and consistent, and Clooney’s performance as the supportive Fred Friendly was first-rate. There wasn’t a weak spot or performance in this film dominated by Frank Langella’s performance as Murrow, but I think it would have been especially great if it revealed deeper sub-plots showing the cause and effect of McCarthy’s “witch-hunt” as it related to other key roles. Having said that, I’d still put it on your list of “must-sees.”
On the R&R Scale (1-10):
7 for script (Captured the evolving theme of “media responsibility” well when it was in its infancy)
9 for direction (Very Good, George)
9 for acting (Strahairn, 10, Clooney 9, others 8)
8 for plot (Historical depiction fairly well balanced)
8 for entertainment value
8.2 overall
She Said:
When Murrow said, “There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful,” I recognized that I was experiencing a non-grandstanding reminder to all of us of the role that the freedom of the press was meant to play, by design of our forefathers, in fighting the battle to balance the distribution of power and knowledge in America. If only for that awareness-raising, this film is definitely worth seeing. Fortunately, the quality of the direction and acting makes it also a great film experience on other grounds. Already having received over 30 awards and nominations, they include six Oscar nominations. “Good Night, and Good Luck” is in the running in the categories of Best (Drama) Motion Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Directing, Best Achievement in Art Direction, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role- all for good reasons.
On the R&R Scale (1-10)
8 for script (Powerfully sparse dialog, could have been great with more layers in plot and characterization)
10 for direction (The feel of the ’50’s socially, politically, captured so well in set and cinematography
9 for acting (David Strathairn so good, 10, others 8)
9 for plot (A man and his team committed to his ethics and morals at any cost was great to see)
9 for entertainment value
9.0 overall
