Ipswich Film Society

Good Night and Good Luck (2005)

2006/07 Season

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK

USA 2005 (PG) - 93 minutes
Directed by George Clooney

Ipswich Film Theatre - 13 November 2006 - 7.30pm
Senator Joe McCarthy's witch hunt for communists throughout American society was bravely challenged by CBS broadcaster Ed Murrow. Clooney's film, using newsreel of McCarthy, excitingly reconstructs these dangerous times in the 1950s when American democracy was seriously threatened. Memorable performances by David Strathairn as Murrow and Clooney as his TV producer.
AUDIENCE COMMENTS: After getting used to the handheld camera and overlapping dialogue, I realised how great it was in showing the chaos of a newsroom. Very good. Ed Murrow and Fred Friendly were very brave men; Somehow one wanted the truth to be more dramatic, more confrontational. But it shows integrity not to embellish in that way; An excellent evocation of the time. Sadly, the momentum of the story faltered at times and the dialogue was regularly unintelligible; Worthy, but a bit dull. Only Robert Downey, Jr and the singer's amazing voice kept me going; Music excellent. One had to have lived in the McCarthy era to have a clue what was going on. The camera work was too tricksy and the dialogue mostly incomprehensible.

Good Night and Good Luck (2005)

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