Giving this a six is probably a little harsh, but I thought the film was somewhat shorter than it needed to be, and focused mostly on how Edward Murrow (played excellently by David Strathairn) can be seen as a hero for our contemporary political culture. Also, I have yet to see Robert Downey Jr. acting well, he is again subpar in this film. This is not to say that the film is not worth seeing. It is a well made historical film about the 1950's. Its main focus is on the debate between Ed Murrow, TV journalist for CBS, and Senator Joseph McCarthy who made accusation about communists working in the government. The film is framed by a speech that Murrow gave at Radio-Television News Directors Association Convention in 1958. I recommend reading the full text. It is a very intelligent critique and explanation of the power of journalism and the medium of television.
April 26, 2006
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I seriously thought Downey Jr. did a fine job (though his role was minimal). I watched this last week, and loved it. If it was longer it would've risked losing momentum, and the black and white cinematography was a perfect pick on Clooney's part.
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