BlazeLime
Strong and Moving!
Smartorhypo
Highly Overrated But Still Good
Zandra
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
SlyGuy21
It's fun to entertain the thought of what modern movies will be seen as "Classics" years from now. And I'm not just talking' about the Top 250, I'm talking about movies that go into the National Archives as "Culturally significant". And while, I don't think this'll get that far, it'll certainly be regarded as a classic. It presents a problem that is still pretty prevalent in today's media. People can become passive receivers because they can just take information at face value instead of investigating. I don't watch American news anymore, and I haven't for three years now. But this movie's not about watching American media, it's about challenging controversy and rolling with the punches. I love movies like this and "Spotlight" that show how journalism can be used for good, not divide people further. The film even presents it point of view without shoving it down your throat. It's not about politics, it's about persevering and challenging what you believe isn't right, but doing it in an appropriate manner.
billcr12
George Clooney directed and also stars as Fred Friendly, who was Edward R Murrow's boss during the red scare days in the 1950's. This is well known material well told by Clooney and featuring David Strathairn as the chain smoking news man. The entire film is in black and white, giving it the look of a documentary of the time period. Real footage of Senator McCarthy is used with the intended chilling effect. Murrow is shown sitting at a manual typewriter actually composing his own material for the CBS broadcast. The past equivalent of Fox News; at that time in the print newspaper media, presented a vicious attack on Murrow and anyone attacking Senator McCarthy. History, of course, has proved Murrow courageous and correct for his fight against McCarthy. The movie is only 94 minutes and is a bit fast paced and frenetic, but it is well worth watching.
krocheav
It would be difficult for serious viewers not to get excitedly caught up in this work. The American news and social commentator Edward R. Murrow was absolutely spot on with his predictions for the future of Television. He was right, not just regards news broadcasting but across the full programming spectrum! And sadly, seems the perpetuation of its ethical downfall lies in the gullibility of viewing audiences who have become equal partners in crime - allowing themselves to be dragged down into the sludge alongside the programmers, writers, producers and sponsors.Many younger viewers won't even realize they are being compromised daily by the 'less is more' mentality of modern entertainments. I wonder if this important work might help some to question the ethics of a society where so-called grown-ups 'play' 'M and R' rated 'games' ad nauseum and TV News is dished out by matinée style pretty boys and girls - sandwiched between specially programmed promos, product placements, and a barrage of handpicked commercials. Murrow was seeing the giant CBS Corporation dump important social and ethical programs for easy revenue shovelled in with endless re-runs of mindless TV series. Other attempts at serious social comment like David Suskind's "East Side West Side" series was dropped by CBS for upsetting some overly powerful sponsors (but hey, surely I understand that sponsors are more important than the truth...well, aren't they?)Only a couple of minor technical bits interrupted my enjoyment of this serious endeavor...the prolific use of super blow up zoom type lenses to give that 'fly-on-the-wall' feel, at times detracted from the 'look of the fifties' (as these lenses weren't even available in this era - tending to give the film a more 'resent' look). Not that I object at all to the use of modern technology in movies set in the past - it's just that in certain situations, when overused, it can have the effect of giving the subject a somewhat pretentious look. Joyously, most images were steady - some may have even been shot on tripods! This same style of photography was used to give "The Downhill Racer" its 'documentary' feel back in the late 60's. A couple of shots appeared to have been compromised by some editing decisions (possibly telling us they had nothing else to replace them with) And OK... we know more people smoked in the health ignorant 40's and 50's but these shows look very much like they are playing the same game as did the major studios of the times, by taking money from cigarette companies to bankroll their projects. This has a tendency to look somewhat more than simple 'realism', to being a tad suspect. Another modern, over-written and endless TV series "Mad Men", bears this same 'suss'look.Clooney shows no fear in some of his more intelligent projects and this is certainly one to be commended. Perhaps he is a little too in awe of his title character - to the extent of maybe manipulating his audience's emotions but, the equally manipulative bullying tactics of Communist witch hunter, Senator Joseph McCarthy also had to be highlighted - with this being done to strong effect by the use of archival footage. Anyone with a serious interest in the overzealous political pursuits of the day should see this one.
LeonLouisRicci
Perhaps the only Valid Criticism of this Near Perfect Movie is that it could have been Longer. The Setting and Place, the Impact and the Fallout, the Timeless Resonance and Importance of Director/Writer/Star George Clooney's Look Back at Edward R. Murrow and His "Outing" of Sen. Joe McCarthy and His Bullying, and the Devastating Effect His Communist Witch Hunt Unleashed on Innocent People is so Complicated and Intertwining that its Short Running Time is a Frustrating Teasing of Events.It is Nothing if not a Launching Pad for Newbies to the "Red Scare" and can Inspire those that are Interested and Willing. But it is the Behemoth of Behavior Among the Media, Politicians, and for that matter, Anyone Alive at the Time because All were Affected and in some Way or another Involved.Clooney's Little Movie is Big on a very Short Time Span. About a Two Week Period of Murrow's and CBS's Decision to Editorialize and Confront McCarthy, not so Much for His Interest in Exposing Communists, but for the Sleazy and Terrorizing Tactics that were Used to Make almost Anyone a Suspect.The Movie is Virtually Flawless in the Snapshot it Takes on this Flash of Television Journalism and is an Insider's View on Murrow, TV News, and the Networks Role as Entertainers/Sponsor Subservient/Businesses. A Magnificent Minimalist Production with an Outstanding Cast from Top to Bottom with David Strathairn's Absolute Embodiment of Edward R. Murrow.
