Ahh, Senor Clooney, how I love thee!

Rating: 8/10 (14 April 2006)

I've long been a fan of the Cloon-ster's directorial work, because although he's only made one film prior to this, it was really, really excellent. "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", if you don't know; a superb additional to anyone's collection, with a great re-watchability value. In keeping with Edward R. Murrow's respect for honesty in a reporter, I should say that it was with that in mind that I sat down to watch "Good Night and Good Luck".
I must admit that, although I had a vague idea of what went on in the communist witch-hunt which the film is about, the first thing that pops into my mind when I hear the name McCarthy is the line in "Dazed and Confused" about "Neo-McCarthy-ism". But it turns out, that was a good thing, because not only did I enjoy Clooney's second film as an engaging dramatic work, it also became suspense-driven as I was drawn in, gripped to know what would/did happen to Murrow, Friendly and the CBS News team.
The film is a combination of dramatisation and archive footage, and Clooney manages to mix the two interchangeably, so much so that if you don't think about it, there's really no way to tell what's acting and what's reality. "The Junior Senator from Wisconsin", as Murrow frequently describes Senator McCarthy, is just as much a living, breathing character in the film, despite only appearing (as himself) in real archive footage.
Plus, y'know, as well as great performances by David Strathairn and Clooney, it has Frank Langella, Robert Downey Jr and Jeff Daniels in "character roles", all of whom are outstanding.
The film also looks incredible; no surprise there, since Clooney's first film was gorgeous too, but even so, the stark black and white never looked better than it does here. The 50's environment photographs so well, and when you see the TV studio lighting playing with Murrow's cigarette smoke as it curls upwards towards the rafters, you'll swear cinema's never looked better.
Despite everything I've said, it's not a pants-wetting seat-gripping roller-coaster ride of entertainment, but it also doesn't aim to be. In his final address to his colleagues, Murrow notes that if television is used strictly for entertainment rather than education, being nothing more than wires and lights in a box, then it would be better it didn't exist at all, yet Clooney illustrates here how well the two functions of the media can combine, for in setting out to make an historically accurate dramatisation of the war waged on fear by Murrow and his team, he's created a story which not only educates and enlightens, but also manages to engage and entertain.
See it.