Good Night, and Good Luck.
Warner Independent Pictures (WIP) | Release Date: October 7, 2005
7.2
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 192 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
133
Mixed:
35
Negative:
24
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
5
BKMMay 2, 2013
Given the relevant subject matter and the talent involved, it's quite surprising that Good Night, and Good Luck is such an inert film. A large part of this seems due to the rudderless direction and writing of George Clooney who can't seem toGiven the relevant subject matter and the talent involved, it's quite surprising that Good Night, and Good Luck is such an inert film. A large part of this seems due to the rudderless direction and writing of George Clooney who can't seem to find the proper approach for the material. Strathairn is excellent as Murrow, but he's stuck in a movie where no one seems to realize that the mere depiction of the events don't qualify this as a great movie. Things like complexity, passion, characters and plotting matter too.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
billys.Nov 9, 2005
The critics are right. Good Night and Good Luck is a socially relavent, timely lesson on the power of media and the role it plays in politics, both historically and currently. The technical credits are all top-notch and Oscar worthy, as is The critics are right. Good Night and Good Luck is a socially relavent, timely lesson on the power of media and the role it plays in politics, both historically and currently. The technical credits are all top-notch and Oscar worthy, as is the briiiant performance of David Strathairn. The use of newsreel footage of Senator McCarthy, however, gave the whole movie too much of a documentary feel and left you wondering what an actor like Pacino or DeNiro would have done with such a choice role as Strathairh did with Murrow. The one thing the critics have not mentioned though, and maybe its me, but this is one hellavu boring movie. This years designer "film" with a gimmick, but i'll watch Zelig when I want gimmicks!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
MikeG.Jan 6, 2006
Watchable, but not as crisp or sharp as I expected. There's nothing wrong with the acting, story, direction or anything else, but I feel like I've seen 10,000 movies about Joe McCarthy right now, and this story seems trivial Watchable, but not as crisp or sharp as I expected. There's nothing wrong with the acting, story, direction or anything else, but I feel like I've seen 10,000 movies about Joe McCarthy right now, and this story seems trivial compared to some of the stronger movies or books about the same subject. I also didn't feel that the movie was as poignant or timely as others who saw it did. If we need to be told that violating Americans' 1st Amendment rights is wrong in 2005, then we've got more problems than a movie is going to solve.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
JonathanH.Feb 22, 2006
Take a very average episode of The West Wing, switch White House for CBS 1950 studios, film it in black and white and you've got GNAGL. Dwelt almost exclusively on the McCarthy thing. Murrow's background is sketched out in speech Take a very average episode of The West Wing, switch White House for CBS 1950 studios, film it in black and white and you've got GNAGL. Dwelt almost exclusively on the McCarthy thing. Murrow's background is sketched out in speech at an award ceremony of 1958. Everything is studio based and feels very static. Some big fat cliches e.g. The newroom meeting a la All The President's Men: room full of earnest newsmen - What we got storywise? We got this. We got that. Look into it! We need some tape for six o'clock. I'll speak to editor but you're putting us all on the line etc etc. Bigs up journos at CBS as though they were massive heroes. Let's not forget these guys wrote their own history. Odd thing was the film gave the impression that Morrow was pretty much pushing an open door on the downfall of McCarthy. Pretty dull, and desperately worthy.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
WillW.Feb 3, 2006
This movie started out as a 9. Then George Clooney's whiny voice and bad acting filled the screen. Okay, so a 8. Then they added on a pointless story about a married couple (Patricia Clarkson and Robert Downey Jr.) about how one would This movie started out as a 9. Then George Clooney's whiny voice and bad acting filled the screen. Okay, so a 8. Then they added on a pointless story about a married couple (Patricia Clarkson and Robert Downey Jr.) about how one would have to leave their jobs working for Murrow. Now a 7. 6 because it had a low budget and George Clooney couldnt pour anymore of his millions of dollars in it (makes no sense, even for a artistic point of view that he has such a small budget for this film). Finally 5 because it ended way too soon.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
AdamL.Apr 6, 2006
Highly overrated, a plotless piece of moral rhetoric devoid of all the things worthwhile in a moviegoing experience, including, but not limited to, plot, pacing, and purpose. A film you admire more than you love.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
DWOct 15, 2005
I'm sorry, it's just not a movie. True stories are difficult to make work because you have to stick to the untheatrical truth (or, as with "A Beautiful Mind," bastardize it). I love to be educated, but I think the test has to be: I'm sorry, it's just not a movie. True stories are difficult to make work because you have to stick to the untheatrical truth (or, as with "A Beautiful Mind," bastardize it). I love to be educated, but I think the test has to be: would this still make an interesting story if it weren't true. With nothing of the personal lives and no great performances to pull you into the human story, all that's left is the politics, which are actually rather vague.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
JoeP.Mar 19, 2006
Good acting, more of a history lesson. This is a snoozer.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
MarcK.Oct 26, 2005
A Hollywood wet dream. While not as obvious as "The Contender," this film is clearly slanted to the left. This film will definitely get a slew of Oscar nominations...partly because 2005 has been a lackluster film year, and partly because A Hollywood wet dream. While not as obvious as "The Contender," this film is clearly slanted to the left. This film will definitely get a slew of Oscar nominations...partly because 2005 has been a lackluster film year, and partly because Hollywood loves left-leaning films that self-congratulate themselves on how "enlightened" they all are.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
FilmfanOct 29, 2005
I left this film disappointed. In the end there was nothing really memorable or revealing about it, at least for anyone even superficially knowledgeable about this period. Strathairn was great, as usual, but for the most part this felt like I left this film disappointed. In the end there was nothing really memorable or revealing about it, at least for anyone even superficially knowledgeable about this period. Strathairn was great, as usual, but for the most part this felt like a hollywood period piece. Better than most, and more intelligent than most, but still too much about style while neglecting to create true cinematic drama.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
TonyB.May 21, 2006
Perhaps well-intentioned and definitely well-acted, but good intentions and good acting do not always make a good film. The pretentious graininess of the cinematography becomes unsettling after a while as does the choppy editing. The musical Perhaps well-intentioned and definitely well-acted, but good intentions and good acting do not always make a good film. The pretentious graininess of the cinematography becomes unsettling after a while as does the choppy editing. The musical interludes serve no purpose except to add several minutes to a relatively short film. George Clooney's performance did not deserve an Oscar, or even a nomination. Frank Langella was far superior to Hollywood's current golden boy. What was the point of the Robert Downey-Patricia Clarkson relationship? And finally, the scene in which someone reads Jack O'Brian's review is absolutely absurd, if not downright deceptive. O'Brian wrote for the Journal American, a NY afternoon daily which certainly would not have been on the street as early as the film says it was. Who knows what other discrepancies this overly rated film has?… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
richardb.Dec 18, 2005
I wanted to like this movie. Its important that audiences today learn that American journalists can, and have, stood up to powerful men abusing their power. But somehow, the life-draining, period drag of this movie got in the way of what I wanted to like this movie. Its important that audiences today learn that American journalists can, and have, stood up to powerful men abusing their power. But somehow, the life-draining, period drag of this movie got in the way of what should have been an easy dramatization of a stirring real-life battle. This is one colorless film, and not just because it's shot in black & white. Why,after about a half hour in, did I feel like I was watching a weak 30's melodrama, instead of an updated The Front Page or All The President's Men or Broadcast News? Movie journalists have rarely been this dull. Was Ed Murrow really that constipated, such a self-important Shakespearean name-checker,so insufferably urbane? What did he do off the job, and how come we never saw how his wife and family figured in his career? In fact, why did we waste so much screen time on Robert Downey and Patricia Clarkson's secret marriage, at the expense of learning more about Murrow, or anything at all about Fred Friendly, or Bill Paley? What's especially weird is that stock footage Joe Mc Carthy becomes, by default, the most appealing character in the flick.He's a red-blooded ranter, sometimes rabid, sometimes clever, but always a lot more human than you'd expect. I'm sure that's hardly the message George Clooney means to send his audience but, when it comes down to it, beasts'll beat bores every time. Check out Emile de Antonio's 1964 documentary, Point of Order, if you want to know what really happened.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
SpangleFeb 7, 2014
The acting is great, but this film is classic director George Clooney for me. It is a very interesting subject matter that moves at a snail's pace and all interest in the story is lost, ultimately winding up being a quite boring film. IThe acting is great, but this film is classic director George Clooney for me. It is a very interesting subject matter that moves at a snail's pace and all interest in the story is lost, ultimately winding up being a quite boring film. I wanted to like it, but I simply cannot.

However, I felt as though the black and white worked well, as I said before, the acting was really well done, and I really liked the blending of the real newscasts with the events going on in the screening room.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
amheretojudgeJun 14, 2018
a provocative homage to the martyrs who lived..

Good Night, And Good Luck There is a lot of content to offer to the audience in a very short and smartly timed, which can be off putting as it doesn't allow the audience to breathe and let ita provocative homage to the martyrs who lived..

Good Night, And Good Luck There is a lot of content to offer to the audience in a very short and smartly timed, which can be off putting as it doesn't allow the audience to breathe and let it all sink in. It is accurately infomercial and highly adaptive but if considered as a dramatic act, there isn't much installed art to explore in here. The adaptation is smart and has a gripping screenplay keeping the audience engaged throughout its 90 minutes offering the audience enough homework to work on it which is fortunately worth in here too. George Clooney; the screenwriter and director, has done an excellent work on creating the '50s corporate world and the characters that revolves around it. David Strathairn is convincing in here and is supported well too by an amazing cast like George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr. and Jeff Daniels. It is short on technical aspects like sound department and art design, but scores majestically on its amazing cinematography and brilliant camera work; it is shot beautifully. Good Night And Good Luck is a provocative homage to the martyrs who lived in the battlefield despite of ever entering one or preparing for one for that matter.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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