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USA 2005
Directed by
George Clooney
90 minutes
Rated PG

Reviewed by
Tim Lethbridge
4 stars

Good Night, and Good Luck

Synopsis: The year is 1953 - esteemed journalist, Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) is the host of CBS news documentary show, "See It Now". The US is gripped by paranoia regarding the 'communist threat', fuelled in no small part by the Senator of Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy (who, courtesy of archival footage, appears as himself), as he embarks on a singular crusade to expose communist sympathisers using often unsubstantiated and hearsay evidence.Murrow and his team, including producer Fred Friendly (George Clooney) and Joe Wershba (Robert Downey Jr), are not prepared to be silent.

This is George Clooney's second outing as director (after the impressive but flawed, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), and it relates to a topic which is clearly close to his heart. Murrow is a revered figure in the minds of serious journalists, including Clooney's father, Nick, who was a news anchorman for 30 years. The film needed that passion, because it is not a story that would necessarily translate well to the screen - the conflict is played out through recorded broadcasts as opposed to direct confrontation (McCarthy and Murrow never actually meet) over a period of several weeks. Perhaps in the hands of a les- committed director, or a more nervous production team, we would have seen the truth 'bent' to have Murrow duke it out with McCarthy in a finale worthy of a Michael Bay film. Clooney's research, however, is meticulous - worthy of Murrow himself - with every scene having been 'double-sourced' (backed up by two independent sources). This is particularly crucial in a true story with such a clear-cut good-guy and bad-guy opposition. Were anyone to suppose it a fictional construct on Clooney's part the film's credibility would be lost.

The other critical factor is the casting of Straitharn, who is brilliant as Murrow. This is particularly so given that Good Night, and Good Luck is not a biography of the man's life - it is a recreation of a historical event in which Murrow, amongst others, placed a central role. With virtually no reference to Murrow's family or history, it is on Straitharn's shoulders to convey the man beneath the reporter, which he does with breath-taking subtlety.

Ultimately, Good Night, and Good Luck is Clooney's testimonial to journalism the 'way it used to be', before commercialism and the supposed need for 'infotainment' changed the face of the industry. In this time when those in power need, more than ever, to be ruthlessly and responsibly scrutinised, let's hope that some of the current journalists and, more importantly, network producers, see this film and take a leaf out of Murrow's book.

 

 

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