ROTTEN TOMATOES: Trailer Bulletin: Clooney, Blanchett and Maguire in Soderbergh's "The Good German"

Trailer Bulletin: Clooney, Blanchett and Maguire in Soderbergh's "The Good German"

by Scott Weinberg | October 19, 2006

The reliably eclectic Steven Soderbergh's next feature is a smoky, mega-noirish wartime thriller that stars George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire and Beau Bridges. And based on the brand-new trailer, it's presently pretty high on my Wanna See list.

Click right here for the Quicktime goods.

Plot synopsis, courtesy of WB and ComingSoon.net: "Based on the novel by Joseph Kanon, "The Good German" takes place in the ruins of post-WWII Berlin, where U.S. Army war correspondent Jake Geismar (George Clooney) becomes embroiled with Lena Brandt (Cate Blanchett), a former lover whose missing husband is the object of a manhunt by both the American and Russian armies. Intrigue mounts as Jake tries to uncover the secrets Lena may be hiding in her desperation to get herself and her husband out of Berlin. Tully (Tobey Maguire), a soldier in the American army motor pool assigned to drive Jake around Berlin, has black market connections that may be Lena's way out -- or lead them all into even darker territory."

"The Good German" opens in limited release on December 8th, wider on Christmas Day, and a bit wider still on January 19th.

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(1-8 of 8 posts) | Reply

nogard64 writes:
on Oct 19 2006 11:29 AM

haha Good German! Thats an oxymoron like government intelligence or dependable auto mechanic.

(Reply to this)

EmmG389 writes:
on Oct 19 2006 11:52 AM

[b]Good German, Bad Trailer[/b]
Wow this movie looks like complete shit. From the trailer, the style doesn't fit the tone of this film. Also, it's a terrible idea to try to compare the film to Casablanca. Setting the film up against Casablanca, which is loved by almost anyone who would pay to see a good prestigious movie, is retarded and will just hurt the film. Do the producers realize what they are doing? And what has happened to Soderbergh?

(Reply to this)

Circe Prankster writes:
on Oct 19 2006 12:40 PM

In reply to this comment (#846898)
The novel "The Good German" by Joseph Kanon is one of my favorite books. And the title IS meant to be a sort of oxymoron - the story is set in Berlin right after WWII and the book poses the question: were there any good Germans during that conflict? Supposedly, the man they're all looking for, Lena's husband, was a "good" German, a scientist, someone who wouldn't have contributed to the Holocaust - but was he really? The story brilliantly delves into the question of ethical responsibility: Who's to blame when everyone was to blame? Among the millions of ordinary citizens who went along with the Nazi's policies, were some more guilty than others, and who determines those levels of guilt and punishment?

I'm not sure about the movie version. The casting seems odd to me, and I think they might have changed the story somewhat, which would be a shame. Anyway, regardless of the movie's success, the book is excellent. I highly recommend it.

(Reply to this)

zeromark16 writes:
on Oct 19 2006 12:50 PM

How could you possibly say that the movie doesn't look good? It looks fantastic- look at the cast. Look at the director! The style is awesome- I'll bet you good money this thing is up for a bunch of Oscars.

(Reply to this)

highdough writes:
on Oct 19 2006 07:28 PM

Not quite sure how you could not like this trailer. I was a little worried about the B&W initially, but It is very high on my must see list. It's shaping up to be a very good November and December, which is good considering the absolute crap they shovelled into the theatres so far.

(Reply to this)

dc00777 writes:
on Oct 19 2006 08:02 PM

[b]is it only me or[/b]
does anyway else think from that plot description that "The Good German" sounds like a dramatic remake of "A Foriegn Affair"? In "AFA" an American soldier( with Black Market connections) in post WW2 Berlin is involved with a suspicious German woman( the fantastic Marlene Dietrich btw) whose husband is an on the run top Nazi wanted by the US Government. Maybe I'm wrong, but sounds like lots of parallels between the films.

(Reply to this)

jacketman writes:
on Oct 19 2006 08:22 PM

Wow. I get on some people for overanalyzing movies, but this! Now we completely judge and disect and analyze a movie based on a trailer?...ummm. Go for a hike or something. You know...get some fresh air and remember what it felt like to not be such a pesemistic, overanalytical person. Ah..optimism...its crazy enough to work!

(Reply to this)

bcoogler writes:
on Oct 28 2006 04:29 PM

In reply to this comment (#846903)
[b]Not just you[/b]
Well, the DC-3 shot in the trailer is certainly a nod to "Casablanca." I was also wondering if there's any borrowing from "The Third Man," which takes place in post-war Vienna and involves a murder mystery and bad drugs (watered down penicillin) on the black market. "The Third Man" (1949) stars Joseth Cotton and Orson Welles, and is a favorite of mine.

(Reply to this)

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