Censorship and fear

Rating: 8/10 (11 March 2010)

This is only the second time George has sat in the director's chair, on a motion picture. He's definitely picked up quite a few of the tricks of the trade, and this does not feel like the work of someone new at their job. This grips the viewers' attention right from the start, and maintains it throughout. I was emotionally invested in the well-developed, credible and human(unlike the visuals, not black and white) characters, and I was not let down. The cinematography is excellent, not drawing attention to itself, it's about the clever, realistic and smart dialog and the events that unfold. This also convincingly captures the busy, focused environment of a news station, and without being overwhelming or noisy, either. The acting is all compelling; Wise and Strathairn deliver what I would argue are by far their most unforgettable performances of their respective careers. This has a marvelous cast, as well. The set is fantastic. All of this would of course mean less if the subject matter wasn't as important as it was; the witch-hunt(it got downright Kafkaesque at times) of McCarthy's search for Communists. This does not mock the concerns about the ideology during the Cold War, and it does show negatives about supporters of both political parties. The film can't be claimed to demonize the late senator himself, with his part played by real footage of him. There is occasional use of moderate to strong language in this. The DVD comes with sneak previews, a trailer, a commentary track with Clooney and fellow script-author Heslov, and it is interesting and, if you like aforementioned Hollywood star's sense of humor, funny, and last but not least, a 15 and a half minute informative behind-the-scenes featurette with magnificent quotes by Murrow that help paint him as an honest journalist with integrity. I recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about the story. 8/10