One of the best films of 2005

Rating: 9/10 (6 April 2006)

The days of the newscaster are dead; made virtually obsolete with the invention of the Internet. Yet in Good Night, and Good Luck, George Clooney's sophomore film as a director, we are brought back to the 1950s, the era of McCarthy and the newscasters like Edward R. Murrow. In perhaps one of the top films of the year, an era of the past is recreated with accuracy and added interest because of great performances and a tightly knit script.
The real strength of this film lies in its wonderful atmosphere and its attempts to recreate a time in our not so recent history. Black and white photography adds familiarity because it is how we best remember the era. It adds contrast and accentuates the thick smoke that breaths through every scene. The complex sets that the designers fitted every detail imaginable could only be matched by actual documentary footage. The cinematography evokes a time of the past, and brings us in the room with the characters. It is subtle and involved, bringing us through the television screen into the world of journalism.
The inherit difficulty of portraying historical people almost does not apply because of the strength of the performers in Good Night and Good Luck. Strong supporting performances by Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney and Ray Wise add depth to the film, but it is David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow who owns the show. The audience gets lost in Strathairn's performance and we forget he's acting. He portrays Murrow with such strength, and his unflinching wit keeps us glued to the screen. This is a sincere and real performance, and perhaps the opportunity of a lifetime for Straithairn, who until now was a perpetual secondary character actor. An interesting decision in the casting of the film was to use actual archival footage of McCarthy, instead of an actor. His out of place antics show the power and fear this man instigated, and why Murrow worked so hard to bring him down.
The final piece of the puzzle lies in the script. Much in the vein of a Frank Capra film, this is the story of one man who can make a difference. Yet, unlike Capra, this story of a real man lacks the often over sentimental and idealistic interpretations that are found in most of Capra's movies. This film breezes by and leaves you thinking long after you are finished watching. However, this is the one area of fault that this film encounters. Although the script is excellent, I felt as though there were several unresolved stories and one or two story lines were left hanging. This is a minor quibble however, because it is barely noticeable.
Although this film is about times past, it is still hard-hitting and relevant to today's audiences due to combination of many factors. Good Night and Good Luck is a film that is an important film for society today because it shows a possibility for change and prevalence of will power and intelligence. It should be interesting to see what George Clooney tackles next.