Good Night, And Good Luck
Review by Harriet Robbins
Edward R.
Murrow and associates vs. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, the year
1953. This absorbing and provocative film, directed by George Clooney
(who co-wrote the script with producer Grant Heslov), has a cast that
includes David Strathairn (Murrow), Clooney (Fred Friendly, V), Robert
Downey Jr and Patricia Clarkson (Joe & Shirley Wershba), Frank Langella
(Bill Paley), Ray Weiss (Don Hollenbeck), Heslov (Don Hewitt), Jeff Daniels
(Sig Mickelson) and jazz singer Diana Reeves (as herself).
Strathairn's performance is indelible, ditto the ensemble as a whole, especially in the sections during which Murrow battles Sen. McCarthy (who is seen in black & white, archival footage).
The film brings back an unsettling time in American history. I recall the anxiety, stress and bitterness that I felt during those Cold War days. The film fully dramatizes all of that and shines as a beacon of hope for all those who opposed McCarthy and fought under great pressure to defend our rights as citizens of the United States as protected by the Constitution.
In
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK the battle between good and evil is depicted
in clear and potent terms. A film of worth and substance, it not only
affords a look at the past but speaks to the present and the future. A
must-see movie.