Sunday, July 18, 2010

Movie Review - Good Night, and Good Luck.























Good Night, and Good Luck is a film set in one of the most tumultuous periods in American history, the post-WWII communist scares of the 40s and 50s. The movie is centered on Edward R. Murrow, the television journalist who brought down Joe McCarthy, the man who was more or less terrorizing America with allegations of communists under every rock.

This is a fairly low-key movie; the music is mostly soft jazz, the dialogue is soft-spoken and there's no special effects or stunts. Lots of archived footage is shown here, and at times that's all thats being shown. The film is shot in black and white and filmed in a low-key style that every once in a while feels like a documentary.

While this is a low-key movie, that doesn't mean that it's a weak movie. The dialogue here is strong and is really what carries the film. Strathairn delivers some terrific speeches and monologues as Edward R. Murrow, and every one of the films large cast of notable talent (George Clooney, Robert Downy Jr., Frank Langella, Jeff Daniels and many more) delivers terrific performances. 

While there isn't a lot of flash in this movie, Good Night and Good Luck is a fantastic period film that sheds light on a very important time in American history and some of the men who stood up to Joe McCarthy and his crazed anti-communist vigilantism. This movie is slow however, and will probably stretch the patience of those not used to films like this; but if you can stick it out you'll definitely find that it was worth your time. Good Night, and Good Luck is a movie I highly recommend to anyone who wants a good, slow-paced and well filmed movie.

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