The Good German (2006) Reviews

Even though this flick was rather poorly received and flopped, since it was directed by Steven Soderbergh, I still wanted to check it out. I mean, a movie directed by Soderbergh with George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Tobey Maguirre did sound like a winner to me. How could it go wrong? Unfortunately, I have to admit it, it was indeed, quite disappointing. Basically, it is a tribute to the movies from the 40's, it was beautifully shot and the actors did deliver some pretty good performances but the story was far from being spellbinding, I’m afraid. Like some other movies directed by Soderbergh (for example 'Full Frontal), the movie seems to remain an exercise, an experiment which doesn't really interest anyone expect Soderbergh himself. By now, he has officially retired (or is it another hoax? We will know soon enough I guess) and he is done experimenting for the time being. This movie was also one of the last George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh would work together and it won’t be remembered as one their best efforts, that's for sure. Still, in spite of its flaws, it is far from being a bad movie and I think it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in Soderbergh's work.

I had high expectations for this film, considering the great cast. However, I was disappointed in their melodramatic acting and in the trite, dull and clichéd script itself.
If you're writing a script that's a homage to the 1940s, shouldn't the scriptwriter stick to that particular style? The use of F words and nudity (not a needed scene) was not the best idea, and actually called for disappointment already.

What saved the movie was:
- that it was shot in black and white, with no microphones,
- its colorful score,
- and its storyline (albeit weakly developed and confusing at times).
Captain Jake Geismar (George Clooney) is in Berlin to cover the Potsdam Conference in post-World War II Germany, but he is dragged into a murder investigation involving his former mistress Lena (Cate Blanchett) and his driver (Tobey Maguire).

The last scene was a clone of Casablanca's last scene - was it intentional? It is a very *slow* film noir, and political thriller, and certainly not a film that everyone will enjoy.