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Good Night, and Good Luck.

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Good Night, and Good Luck.

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Summary

George Clooney directs and co-stars with David Strathairn in this thought-provoking period drama based on the true story of the CBS news team's fight to broadcast criticism of senator Joe McCarthy during his communist witch-hunts of the early 1950s.

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Adam Smith

George Clooney's second film as director is an understated ensemble piece that details a campaign by journalists to take on the might of Senator Joe McCarthy during his attempts to root out "communists" in the 1950s. Clooney also appears as CBS newsroom producer Fred Friendly, but wisely retreats to the background for the most part in favour of David Strathairn. As languid anchorman Edward R Murrow (whose signature sign-off gives the film its title), Strathairn gives a magnificent performance of quiet, steadfast courage, taking on not only McCarthy but his concerned station boss William Paley (an excellent Frank Langella) over whether or not to air the provocative reports. Clooney uses - and occasionally overuses - archive footage of the hearings to bring the true bullying monstrousness of the junior senator from Wisconsin to life, while keeping the simmering drama tightly confined within the studios and offices of CBS. Gorgeously shot in black and white by cinematographer Robert Elswit through a fug of cigarette smoke, this Oscar-nominated movie not only establishes Clooney's credentials as a director, but also indirectly has much to say about the state of the US media post 9/11.

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7.4/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameEdward R MurrowDavid StrathairnShirley WershbaPatricia ClarksonFred FriendlyGeorge ClooneySigfried "Sig" MickelsonJeff DanielsJoe WershbaRobert Downey JrWilliam PaleyFrank LangellaDon HollenbeckRay WiseCharlie MackRobert BurkeJohn AaronReed DiamondJessie ZousmerTate DonovanDon HewittGrant HeslovPalmer WilliamsThomas McCarthyDon SurineRobert Knepper

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Crew

rolenameDirectorGeorge Clooney

Details

Theatrical distributor

Redbus

Released on

2006-02-17

Languages

English

Available on

DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Black and white

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