Good Night and Good Luck
About an hour ago, I watched a movie called Good Night and Good Luck. Up to that point, I didn't know George Clooney had any talent. (To be fair, I'd only seen him in one other movie, Batman and Robin and that movie sucked ass. Anyway, Clooney wrote and directed this movie, and up until the weaksauce ending, it totally rocked.
The movie focussed on a reporter's efforts to stop a crazy politician Senator Joe McCarthy. (I am aware he was a real guy and was really quite scary during his heyday.) It did a great job of making this reporter seem to be a one-against-the-world kind of guy and really gave you something to cheer for. There were actually a couple of moments when I clapped for this guy's accomplishments. He was an excellent reporter, or at least the film portrayed him as such. Its really fun to be able to applaud for a character.
It was a lot of fun to watch, and most definitely, it was a highly enjoyable film.
But unfortunately, they don't make "perfect movies" and the film's ending disapointed me. It lacked the punch it needed. THey ended by cutting back to the beginning where a guy was giving a speech about 15 years after the film's events and I was actually thinking, "Wow. If this were the ending, that'd be a really crappy ending." THE END. I think it should have had a little more punch, rather than just having the reporter talking and saying he beat McCarthy, they should have had McCarthy there being beaten.
Filmmakers, be true to the mantra, "Show. Don't tell." Otherwise, you're just copping out.
However I still recomend it. Its no surprise it got the Oscar nomination it did, but I'm also quite unsurprised that it did not win the Oscar.
Seeing something like this though reminds me of John Carpenter's Escape From LA. That movie had the opposite pattern. It really was a very weaksauce movie, but the ending was totally kickass.
Sigh, if only Good Night and Good Luck's ending had punch or if Escape From LA was worth its weight in shit before the ending. Then we'd have two more really great movies.
posted by the magnificent Cy "Brazanthr" Parker @ 12:19 PM
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