Aren't we wonderful!

Rating: 7/10 (8 April 2015)

I was alive in the early 1950s. And, as far as I remember, life was still in color. So why is this movie in black and white? Well, the artsy fartsies would probably say it brings reality to the story. Really? Because in reality, televisions -- like motion pictures -- at the time were at 1.33:1, not 1.85:1. The CBS studios were in completely separate locations, not in the same building. So from the perspective of making things "real", this film doesn't really do that.
Now, not criticizing the film, but reality. In the discussion between William S. Paley and Edward R. Murrow in the film, the issue is the truth about Eugene McCarthy. But it occurred to me that Murrow didn't care so much about revealing the truth about...Liberace when he apparently knew he was being dishonest in an interview.
In some ways, it must have been an easy film to write. Many scenes are verbatim from Edward R. Murrow's television broadcasts. Of course, putting them all together in an interesting sequence was important. I question the opening scenes of the film...boring.
The acting in the film is excellent...I think. I'm not sure any actor could have truly captured the essence of Murrow, but David Strathairn, a superb actor, did about as well as anyone could have. Everyone else is secondary, and it's difficult for us to judge their performances since we don't know much about the real people they represented. However, it seems good.
Of course, the film got rave reviews, which is pretty typical of films that deal with the McCarthy topic. It's certainly not a new topic, but it's a story that must be told over and over because there are always demagogs like Murrow, and they always seem to be conservatives who wish to restrict personal freedoms.
But, as I watched the film, I sensed a lot of self-congratulations on the part of the media. Aren't "we" wonderful! Well, yes. But, sometimes no.
Finally, I'm just curious. Did anyone at CBS not smoke?