Review: Goodnight and Good Luck

Rated PG | 93 mins

IMDB Info

All good social commentary needs historical relevance, but writer/director/actor George Clooney takes this concept to extreme measures in Goodnight and Good Luck, his unashamed attack on conservatism. Using the verbal battle between CBS newscaster Edward R. Murrow and Sen. Joseph McCartney, which occurred as a result of the latter figure’s famous 1950’s Communist “Witch Hunts”, as his premise, Clooney blatantly imposes his own political views on otherwise fascinating material. Whether it was his conscious effort to try to draw a superfluous parallel between the disastrous McCarthy and modern-day conservatives, I dunno, but the mere implication distracts the central focus of the film to a beyond-detrimental extent. And that’s really a shame, too, considering the fact that Goodnight and Good Luck actually has quite a lot going for it. Creamy black-and-white cinematography that seamlessly blends in with actual archival footage of McCarthy (which makes a performance for his character unnecessary); brilliant, Oscar-worthy acting by David Strathairn in the lead role; and thought-provoking themes regarding honesty in journalism are merely some of its many redeeming qualities. And, in the end, it’s safe to say that while movie may not be able to overcome its own central absurdities, it manages to conjure up enough interest to make it worth seeing.