...engaging and discerning culture, as a way of life...

May 29, 2007

The Good German - 5

In between having fun making entertaining comedy heists- The Ocean's series, George Clooney and Steven Soderberg work on their serious projects (Syriana, Good Night, and Good Luck, Confessions of a Dangerous Minds, Bubble, Eros, Full Frontal, and Solaris). This is last years collaboration on a black and white homage to 50's era film. Using Casablanca as a template this is the story of a New Republic journalists return to Post-WWII Germany. He soon finds himself involved in a search for the notes for building "the Bomb." As Russia, England, and the US are fighting over how to divide up Germany and prosecute war criminals. The film is a good mystery, the clues start to add up and the audience begins to see the many interests that have kept the truth buried. While an intriguing film it over does the noir ending and leaves one with a cynical view of the military's intervention into anything: politics wins the day.
Cate Blanchett stars as the femme fatale, and Tobey Maguire does well as a clever and shady Army driver.

1 comment:

Jason said...

I haven't seen the movie, but I've read the novel off of which the film is based. Aside from one specific segment, the novel is very well-written; I've heard the movie changes a fair--no, great--deal. I know that film is its own art, etc. but in this case, it may've been one point higher if the plot stuck to the book's.