The Good German (2006)

Clooney's newest Specialty Movie Not A Flop Or Win

By Yahoo! Shopping User  May 29, 2007

Pros: The footage of Berlin and the general footage quality made for a feel that was very similar to actual classic movies.

Cons: The story lines get far too tied into each other; so much that it becomes difficult to know what is going on at most points or who is on which side.

George Clooney had a moderate success whenhe released his last black and white movie, "Good Night and Good Luck." The movie in question was based on the very public battle between legendary broadcaster Edward R. Murrow and the infamous Repu...blican Sentator, Joseph McCarthy, who led the equally infamous witch hunt for suspected Communists and Communist sympathizers during that era. While that movie fared only realtively well (since it was aimed at a certain audience), "The Good German" lacks that specific audience. Clooney makes an attempt at classic film making that is at least worthy of light applause. The quality of the footage, mixed with the actual footage of post WWII Berlin makes for a somewhat believeable movie. Being that Toby Macguire is killed off early in the movie to create part of the larger story, it is difficult to really tell if there is any chemistry between himself and Clooney. Macguire, who most fans know for his role of America's most beloved webslinger, shows a completely different side in this period piece. His death is what leads to the biggers tory of Clooney trying to find out why his former love, Lena, is trying to leave Berlin. That story becomes somewhat confusing in itself. At one point, she says she wants to get her husband out. At another she says that she wants to get out alone. The key is that Lena's husband is a scientist who used to work for the Nazi's. And because he wants to help the Americans, everyone is looking for him. Some people want him alive, others want him dead, including some American officers. These storylines sadly bog the movie down in itself. And viewers never know for certain which side Lena and certain other characters are on from one point to another. Ironically, that is part of classic film noir. So while Clooney stayed true to the classic formula and made a semi-original movie (semi because it was based on a book), that formula still did not make a movie that all audiences will grasp or even enjoy even if they do understand all the storylines. Read more Less