Good night, and Good Movie.

Rating: 8/10 (2 May 2013)

Check out this clever message: the film opens with a scene of Ed Murrow at a festive party, delivering a real Debbie-Downer of a speech about the duty and failure of TV. In the speech he accuses television (news in particular) of catering to the fat & happy, dumbing down reality for the sake of entertainment. He calls for television instead to educate, provoke and expose the world for its flaws, ugly or boring as they may be.
"Good night, and good luck" does exactly what Murrow prescribes. The movie itself is not what I'd call entertaining. Definitely not like Oceans 11, 12, 13 or any of the other blockbuster hits of recent years. Instead it's a fascinating, enlightening and sobering history lesson which is particularly important to re-visit today.
Director George Clooney takes us on a powerful ride through a world where the government has total, unquestionable control over the fates of individuals, and those who speak out against it do so at their own risk. Sounds like some Orwellian dystopia? Well it really happened in the US of A, barely 50 years ago. And it may be happening again.
That's all I'll say as far as socio-political commentary. After all we're here to talk movies. And what a movie this is. While I can't say it's a crowd pleaser, I think it's masterfully crafted with excellent dialogue, effective camera angles & movements that add to the tension, and great acting all around. The whole movie is in b&w but it's not just a gimmick. Not only does it transport us back to the time period (mid 1950s), but it allows for the smooth blending of actual stock footage from the McCarthy hearings. Apparently the blending was so smooth that initially some people criticized the "actor" playing Sen McCarthy as being too over-the-top. Haha, it's the real dude, folks.
I watched this movie without knowing who directed it, and for a long time I could've sworn it was Steven Soderbergh ("Traffic", "Solaris", and particularly "The Informant!") with its meticulous, clean shots. Not much of a surprise to learn that it was Clooney who has starred in half a dozen Soderbergh films, his likely protégé.
The music can only be described as "cool", featuring a jazz combo and the talented singing of Dianne Reeves who, in a surreal studio fly-by, is shown performing on the CBS soundstage, putting the music in a nice perspective.
If you like strong historical films, particularly focusing on scandals or underdogs of 20th century America like "Quiz Show", "Tucker", "The Hoax", or the aforementioned "The Informant!" then don't hesitate to check this out. It's probably the most tense & claustrophobic of the bunch, strangely reminding me of "Das Boot" (a 5-hr film about a bunch of Nazis stuck in a submarine). Maybe the b&w presentation had me fooled, but I was also reminded of the b&w masterpieces "Citizen Kane" (about the questionable success of a very William R Hearst-like character) and maybe even "Dr. Strangelove" (a dark satire about the atomic bomb and America's postwar paranoia).
There aren't any car chases, shootouts, damsels in distress, romantic hook ups, nude scenes, blood & guts, swearing or big laughs in this film. It's rated PG, but the irony is I can't imagine too many teenagers wanting to see it. Nonetheless, it's a well-made, dramatic, important film and a dose of medicine I recommend to everyone.