Perfect

Rating: 10/10 (21 January 2006)

This film is that good. Another reason why you just make the film you want to make and get out of the way. 93 minutes. Tight, well-constructed, and wonderful. Clooney depicts another time, but yet the film resonates oh-so-strongly in this era. I thought several times of Bill O'Reilly or Tucker Carlson or some such pinhead in the role of "the junior senator from Wisconsin" but unfortunately, as another commenter mentioned, and has been well- documented, there really isn't a media figure of Murrow's stature in this day and age who has the nerve to, as the saying goes, "speak truth to power". Murrow's coolness under pressure, nerve, knowledge of his obligations, and the opportunity that he had seem to be sorely missing in this day and age while America craves an anchor or media figure with such integrity.
The choice of Murrow's opening speech in which he foresees a dim future for for television if it isn't used wisely is quite prescient when one considers just how much garbage has been featured in the last 50 years. The broadcast of Murrow's celebrity interviews were particularly amusing in that after them, and after the program wrapped, while the staff congratulated him, he just reclined and took deep breaths of smoke (seeing an anchor smoke was funny) and inhaling deeply while he considered just how useless the piece had been. I'm not old enough to have seen Murrow or have any memory of the period but I am aware at least of his name. And it's very interesting to see Murrow taking his journalism so seriously and his consideration of what was important. He recognized that McCarthy was essentially a bully and that if bullies are challenged directly that their "ideas" will not stand and they certainly won't. So it was with McCarthy. Murrow recognized that McCarthy was going to come after him personally as that was all that he had. This was the problem for the newsman (Don Hollenbeck-played as heartbreakingly sensitive by Ray Wise) who couldn't abide the criticism of his reporting-when really all he should have done is realized who was criticizing him and that he did not have much integrity-either that or not read the reviews, as Murrow suggested.
All the same, the film seemed to me to have a lot of relevance for today and I think Clooney, notwithstanding his well-known liberal sympathies-made this film as a means of reminding America, and particularly media movers and shakers-of their responsibility to use their power for good. The performances were very good, particularly the astonishing David Strathairn. While, as mentioned, I didn't remember this period of American history and Murrow's demeanor, other commenters have noted Strathairn's accuracy in his depiction of Murrow and it would seem that with such particular mannerisms and demeanor that he was going for a something very specific. In any case, his very economical, efficient performance seemed to capture the integrity and reserve of Murrow.
Robert Downey Jr. is truly one of the best American actors, in spite-and maybe because, of all the things he's gone through. He was great in Chaplin 14 (wow, 14) years ago and he's still very very talented. Frank Langella is wonderful as the CBS President Bill Paley who feels put-upon by advertisers and the government but yet protects editorial independence. Again, I was concerned that no network President would today have the editorial integrity that Paley had. The inclusion of Dianne Reeves' vocals, not to mention the almost omnipresent smoke and clean black and white cinematography seems to enhance the clear moral dimension underpinning the film. Clooney himself is excellent and his direction, as mentioned, keeps the film moving along briskly so that it clocks in at a lovely 93 minutes. You will want to see this film again and again. I haven't seen Brokeback Mt. or King Kong or Syriana, but I can't imagine that Brokeback would be better. Syriana...well...anyway. I would certainly favor Mr. Strathairn for Best Actor.