2005 / 93 Minutes / PG
Reviewed by Dale Nauertz

This movie simply confirms something that has been on my mind for more than a year: replace “Communism” with “Terrorism” and we’re basically living in the 50’s. There will always be some senator or government official using people’s inherent fear of some alien and “evil” concept to make a name for themselves. Democrat or Republican, it doesn’t matter. Someone is always going to find a way to use fear and a bad situation to their own advantage.

In the ‘50’s, the main man doing this was Senator Joseph McCarthy, yet another lunatic from Wisconsin (man, we in America’s Dairyland have certainly produced our share of nutjobs). McCarthy claimed that there were Communists everywhere and that they had infiltrated the most important facets of American life: Hollywood, politics, the military, etc. Before he was exposed as an alcoholic, attention-grabbing loon, he inspired a witch-hunt atmosphere and ruined a couple of careers. One of the main men standing against McCarthy (and the hero of this film) was journalist Edward R. Murrow. Murrow risked his own reputation and engendered controversy by exposing McCarthy for the greedy, selfish jerk that he was. The how’s and why’s and what’s of this are explored in this film, George Clooney’s sophomore effort behind the camera.

I applaud Clooney in making this film, a film that is surprisingly timely and yet timeless all at once. As I said, the more things change, the more they stay the same. I believe our country will always be no more than a couple steps from making the same mistakes we nearly made in the era in which this film is set, and it’s always relevant to have a reminder of how things went, and how much worse they could have been if not for people willing to risk everything to tell the truth. Clooney makes bold points and powerful statements in this film, and he does so largely by sticking to the facts of the case and letting them speak for themselves. Murrow’s words are largely his own (so I’ve heard) and McCarthy is not being played by an actor, this is archive footage of the man himself. It’s a choice that works quite well.

The film rarely leaves the studio, showing us the claustrophobic, stressful, smoke-shrouded atmosphere of the CBS newsroom in all its fascinating glory. The subject matter is potent and the approach of the filmmakers is commendably straightforward. The actors are great as well. David Straithairn is perfect as Murrow. It’s definitely one of the best performances of the year, showing us that the man was brave but also illustrating that he was often pretty nervous about what he was doing. The man wasn’t, after all, Superman, just a journalist unwilling to compromise. (The awards speech which bookends this film hammers that point home quite eloquently.) The rest of the actors do a great job as well (from dependable players like Patricia Clarkson and Jeff Daniels to less dependable people like the leather-faced Frank Langella) but Straithairn is, rightfully, the standout here. Perhaps this is the performance that will make people finally remember him…but I’ve said that before about his fine work in things like “The Firm”, “The River Wild” and “Dolores Claiborne”. Maybe Straithairn will only ever be remembered by movie freaks like Jones and myself. Oh well. We still love you, Dave! The other real standout of the film is Ray Wise, as a beleaguered news anchor affected by this whole scandal. He’s another of those actors you’ve seen in tons of movies yet you’ve never really known his name. He’s good enough here that I’ll remember his name from now on.

Unfortunately, though it’s got an abundance of strengths, the movie isn’t without a couple flaws. For one thing, the film might be a bit too claustrophobic for its own good. The rest of the world seems not to exist here, which might be a mistake. Maybe it isn’t. I did find the movie a tad dry, however. It never seemed to breathe the way it should, and there is always a distance between this film and us in the audience. I felt the movie had a few too many jokes about the fact that everyone is smoking (it’s not THAT funny, guys). I also felt that the sporadic musical interludes throughout the film were a mistake. You see, every so often, the film grinds to a halt and allows us into the CBS recording studio in the same building. The woman singing in these segments is very good, but the movie still comes screeching to a stop whenever one of them dominates the screen. Another thing which distracted from the film was the sub-plot about Robert Downey Jr.’s character and his secret marriage to a co-worker (played by Patricia Clarkson, another great actor most people don’t know). This material wasn’t bad, not really, but it didn’t add anything to the movie.

My problems are largely nitpicks, sure. But a movie that’s only an hour and a half long and still feels overlong has got a couple of problems. I think everyone can agree on that. Still, the acting is great and the subject matter is compelling. The tale is relevant and I admire the straightforward manner in which it is told. Clooney has restrained himself from any showy theatrics and simply told a good story in a bare bones fashion. Still, I miss the technical finesse, quirky charm and bustling energy of his first film: “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”. There, I’m probably the only critic (ha, critics get paid) who prefers Clooney’s first turn behind the camera (most critics I’ve read are badmouthing that one in order to better heap praise on this one).

If a couple of things had been fine-tuned, this could be a great movie. As is, it’s simply a pretty good one.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005 at 8:30 pm and is filed under Dale's Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.