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Movies / Upcoming / Good Night. And, Good Luck
Good Night. And, Good Luck

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Good Night. And, Good Luck (2005)

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Reviews Counted:210

Fresh:197

Rotten:13

Average Rating:8.1/10

Consensus: This is a passionate and concise civics lesson from the past, arriving with much political and cultural relevance to today.

Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $31,501,218

Synopsis: With GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, George Clooney delivers a riveting account of a crucial chapter in 20th-century American history and, in the process, firmly establishes himself as a major force... With GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, George Clooney delivers a riveting account of a crucial chapter in 20th-century American history and, in the process, firmly establishes himself as a major force behind the camera as well. The crisply paced, tautly scripted docudrama recounts the events of the mid-1950s leading up to acclaimed CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow's (David Strathairn) decision to stand up against fiery Senator Joseph McCarthy, who was out to rid the country of communism. McCarthy's seemingly reckless behavior, in which he condemned individuals without giving them a fair trial, angered Murrow and his producer Fred Friendly (Clooney) into action. The resulting few episodes of Murrow's show, SEE IT NOW, found Murrow on a personal, patriotic crusade to challenge McCarthy and rid America of his callous persecution. Set almost entirely inside the smoke-filled, pressurized newsrooms at CBS, Clooney's assured picture moves at a breakneck pace. Cinematographer Robert Elswit miraculously recreates the black-and-white look of that era, giving the film an added air of legitimacy. And while Clooney and co-screenwriter/producer Grant Heslov wisely chose to use stock footage of McCarthy instead of finding an actor to fill his shoes, they couldn't have found a better Murrow than Strathairn, who delivers his lines with heroic conviction. Clooney's stellar ensemble cast also includes Ray Wise, Patricia Clarkson, Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Daniels, and Frank Langella. [More]

Starring: David Strathairn, Robert Downey, Patricia Clarkson, Rose Abdoo

Starring: David Strathairn, Robert Downey, Patricia Clarkson, Rose Abdoo, Alex Borstein, Robert John Burke, Ray Wise, Frank Langella, Jeff Daniels, Tate Donovan, Tom McCarthy, George Clooney

Director: George Clooney

Director: George Clooney
Screenwriter: George Clooney, Grant Heslov
Producer: Grant Heslov
Studio: Warner Independent

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Reviews for Good Night. And, Good Luck

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

That it's a film both timely and timeless goes without saying. Yet Clooney is too canny a storyteller to let didacticism obscure the complexities of Murrow's character.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
07/01/06
Sandra Hall
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
05/04/06
In Film Australia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

George Clooney's engaging dramatisation of a despicable episode in recent US history is a shining example of good journalistic filmmaking depicting good journalism. On that score alone, I admire and champion the film.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
12/04/05
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Lean study of the quandaries of asking questions in the media, and of crafting a political film in Hollywood

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
09/01/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

A film that will live on for years, because it bears a message about dissension, and the power of the press. A power that's faded.

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

Provocative, principled and richly detailed, this is compelling stuff. Emotionally it’s a little dry, but as brain-food, it’s absolutely invigorating. George done good.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
02/27/08
Simon Crook
Simon Crook
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Dignified, intelligent filmmaking for liberal grown-ups.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
02/27/08
Matthew De Abaitua
Matthew De Abaitua
Channel 4 Film

Scrupulously journalistic, sometimes to its credit, sometimes to its deficit as a movie.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
02/14/08
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Good Night is not your average historical recreation. It doesn't dumb-down its story or its characters with needless explanation for the benefit of an under-educated audience.

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

proves that it is still possible in the cinema, if not in television, to inform without being boring and entertain without condescending.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
07/06/07
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film

bez obzira na plemenite namjere svojih tvoraca, ipak ne zaslu%u017Euje "Oscara", jer je iznevjerio visoke standarde objektivnosti koje pripisuje svom junaku.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
06/21/07
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Having your heart in the right place doesn't quite compensate for keeping your mouth somewhat shut and turning the volume down to an ideological whisper.

Full Review Source: WBAI Web Radio | comment Comment
02/10/07
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
WBAI Web Radio

Clooney's excellent film uses the past to make today's media and their audiences address their responsibilities.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
01/20/07
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

... a timely reminder of the consequences of failing to balance national security with personal liberties... (believability is) what really comes through on the screen...

Full Review Source: MovieCrypt.com | comment Comment
12/30/06
Kevin A. Ranson
Kevin A. Ranson
MovieCrypt.com

It's both a crafty little picture and a forthright one -- a neat trick.

Full Review Source: Nation | comment Comment
11/11/06
Stuart Klawans
Stuart Klawans
Nation

A solid achievement.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
10/14/06
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor

David Strathairn is terrific and with George Clooney's passion for his subject, they make [i]Good Night[/i] a satisfying comparison between the past and the present.

Full Review Source: Oscar Guy | comment Comment
09/26/06
Wesley Lovell
Wesley Lovell
Oscar Guy

Many will see it as a cautionary tale: Don't let anyone else do your thinking for you. The truth is the thing. Cherish it and defend it.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
08/25/06
Stefan Ulstein
Stefan Ulstein
Christianity Today

more interested using the movie medium as a pulpit from which to pontificate...political beliefs rather than in telling a dramatically engaging story

Full Review Source: Perihelion Journal | comment Comment
08/24/06
Jay Antani
Jay Antani
Perihelion Journal

It's a modest but powerful affair, and a fantastic mood piece.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Dave Calhoun
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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