News as Entertainment

Rating: 10/10 (11 December 2005)

I went with high expectations, and at the start I thought it was terrific, and it only got better.
Shockingly good. The use of Billie Holliday as interludes, in lieu of a score was outstanding. The use of black and white not only allowed the filmmakers to use actual footage, but our memories of Edward R. Murrow are all black and white.
There are so many interesting but very subtle contrasts here, and there are parallels that might be drawn between these events of the fifties and subsequent occurrences. It would be a disservice to point them out if you have not seen the film.
The acting was uniformly awe-inspiring. Let me leave you with one impression I had: before I saw the film, I had read little about it, and knew only the subject it dealt with. I didn't know for sure who directed it, but thought I recalled that Clooney did. As well as writing it. Toward the end, when Bill Paley (Frank Langella) gives bad news to Murrow and Friendly (George Clooney), Paley asks Friendly to stay for a moment as Murrow leaves the room. Oh, no, I thought, here is the Oscar-winning scene that Clooney wrote for himself (because there had not been any until then). I had to wait for the credits and then I was amazed that Clooney had in fact directed and written the film--because there was NO Oscar-winning scene. The camera waited outside with Murrow. This is definitely not a Clooney ego trip. The news of the fifties was very entertaining today. I'd give it an eleven if I was allowed.