film review: The Good German
May. 12th, 2009 11:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
winterbadgerI have a large enough Netflix list; I really should post film reviews as well as book comments. But usually I enjoy movies, and I'm too busy enjoying them to write about them, or too unimpressed to bother reviewing them. But right now I'm annoyed enough that I wrote up a review on Netflix, so I'm posting it here as well, with additions.
The Good German (2006). Stars George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Toby Maguire.
I found this movie disappointing, gravely disappointing. Not only did I have a hard time watching it--the disc was damaged in several places, including at critical plot reveals, and the "play now" N@tflix (apparently we're not allowed to use its real name in reviews) feature didn't work properly when I tried to make up for the disc's deficiencies--but despite the clever use of original footage and the presence of several excellent actors, parts of the story were unconvincing, the use of backgrounds in composite shots was clumsy and heavy-handed, characters appear without introduction and seemingly without purpose, the plot was lacking, and worst of all, the acting and direction were simply... bad. Clooney is just not convincing as a wimp who gets knocked down by everyone who swings a fist at him and as a seasoned journalist who can't figure his way out of a paper bag. Maguire horribly overplays his (limited) part. Blanchett is two-dimensional. Beau Bridges demonstrates why he doesn't get many good roles--he can't really act. Ravil Isyanov in a supporting role as a Russian officer is about the only convincing player. You don't care about the characters; they don't seem like real people; their problems don't engage you, and their emotions seem flat and as colourless as the film.
It seemed to me when the film first came out that it arrived and then left rather hurriedly; now I see why. If you're looking for a good postwar-Berlin thriller, skip this rubbish and go rent The Third Man (even if you've seen it before).
The Good German (2006). Stars George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Toby Maguire.
I found this movie disappointing, gravely disappointing. Not only did I have a hard time watching it--the disc was damaged in several places, including at critical plot reveals, and the "play now" N@tflix (apparently we're not allowed to use its real name in reviews) feature didn't work properly when I tried to make up for the disc's deficiencies--but despite the clever use of original footage and the presence of several excellent actors, parts of the story were unconvincing, the use of backgrounds in composite shots was clumsy and heavy-handed, characters appear without introduction and seemingly without purpose, the plot was lacking, and worst of all, the acting and direction were simply... bad. Clooney is just not convincing as a wimp who gets knocked down by everyone who swings a fist at him and as a seasoned journalist who can't figure his way out of a paper bag. Maguire horribly overplays his (limited) part. Blanchett is two-dimensional. Beau Bridges demonstrates why he doesn't get many good roles--he can't really act. Ravil Isyanov in a supporting role as a Russian officer is about the only convincing player. You don't care about the characters; they don't seem like real people; their problems don't engage you, and their emotions seem flat and as colourless as the film.
It seemed to me when the film first came out that it arrived and then left rather hurriedly; now I see why. If you're looking for a good postwar-Berlin thriller, skip this rubbish and go rent The Third Man (even if you've seen it before).
