Movie Was Smoking But Not That Hot

Rating: 7/10 (29 January 2006)

Sometimes we see a great movie without any exceptional performances and sometimes we see a pretty good or fair movie with an exceptional performance. My sentiment regarding "Good Night and Good Luck" is the latter.
I loved Edward R.Murrow. As a preteen I remember being mesmerized by his album, "I Can Hear It Now" chronicling the World War Two years. I vividly remember watching his "Person to Person" and "See It Now" CBS telecasts. I was just a tot during his "This Is London" broadcasts so I heard none of them but I have a stockpile of tapes of those miraculous on-the-spot descriptions. If you've never heard his broadcasts aboard a B17 over Germany during a bombing raid or his eyewitness description of the liberation of Buchenwald extermination camp, you cannot appreciate the excellence, the meticulousness of the man. But he had a bad habit. Cigarettes, that took him away from us much much too soon. Why am I reminiscing? Because David Strathairn IS Edward R.Murrow. His performance is riveting,startling and amazing. That soft but stern voice. The furrowed brow. The serious demeanor. The height, build, hairline. Murrow's exact countenance captured exquisitely. Mr.Strathairn is going to give the others a race for their money regarding that Best Actor Oscar.
But alas,despite this unbelievable acting job, the film is still more of a black and white documentary than anything else. Murrow's chief nemesis, Sen. Joseph McCarthy, is played by the senator himself despite his death about 50 years ago. Director Clooney decided to use actual archived footage instead of casting someone in the role. Hence, we get a documentary. A smokey one at that. Patrons were coughing just watching it. All that smoke was downright annoying and can someone tell me the meaning of the African American female torch singer who appeared in both the CBS building as well as the nearby saloon where Murrow and company hung out for a "spot of tea?" I mean the vocalist was right on pitch but why? What was she doing singing in the CBS building? Beats me.
Edward Murrow made broadcast journalism, broadcast journalism. He introduced the idea of deep thought and insight into topics instead of the run of the mill coverage others were practicing. The man could bring to life, illuminate any subject. Watching that movie made me keep thinking of the great loss all of us have endured with his passing. Indeed, there was one whale of a brain behind that microphone. An absolute legend.