Reviewed by Neil Davey
Stars George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire, Beau Bridges, Christian Oliver, Leland Orser
Produced by Ben Cosgrove, Gregory Jacobs
Written by Paul Attanasio,
based on the novel by Joseph Kanon
Certification US R| UK 15 | Australia MA
Runtime 105mins
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
From the opening scene, the class of Steven Soderbergh’s The Good German is strikingly obvious. This post WWII tale is shot in glorious black and white, like the classic movies of 1945. Soderbergh wanted a noir feel to this noir tale and has certainly done his research. Some scenes are played out against projected backdrops, the director used vintage lenses and traditional techniques — the old-style score is a lovely touch — while the actors are a little more ‘obvious’ than you might expect. It’s an absolutely spot-on recreation of the era. It’s a shame then that the film itself isn’t terribly good.
Perhaps that isn’t quite the expression. It’s clearly a high quality addition to the director’s already impressive cinematic CV, and the likes of George Clooney, Tobey Maguire and Cate Blanchett generally don’t put their name to any old load of rubbish. It’s just that while it’s all very pretty and sumptuous, it’s also a little bit dull. Clooney plays Jake Geismer, a US war correspondent, who returns to Berlin to cover the Potsdam Peace Conference, where the Allies will decide the fate of Europe now that the Germans have been beaten.
For Jake, it’s a strange trip. It’s almost like stepping back in time as Berlin holds many memories for him. However, the devastation of the city — and the thriving black market — makes it a very alien place and he’s slightly reliant on his driver, Corporal Tully (Maguire) to guide him around. Tully seems like a salt of the earth, good all-American boy. In fact, he’s as corrupt as they come, not so much the Harry Lime character as a character who would sell out Harry Lime for the quickest of bucks. Jakes isn’t fussed about Tully’s angles though. He’s just interested in Tully’s girlfriend — and his own former lover — Lena (Blanchett). Until that is, Tully’s body washes up and Jake’s investigation unearths some dark secrets. As Tully has shown, everything has its price. And as Jake discovers, for many people survival came at a great cost.
Unfortunately, Tully’s death removes the film’s most interesting character and, while it’s a catalyst for the events at the heart of the film, it’s a blow that The Good German never quite recovers from. Maguire is something of a revelation too, switching in an instant from sweet, smiling good ol’ boy to psychotic black market player. Clooney is as watchable as ever and Blanchett, of course, is mesmerising but you can’t help wishing there was just a little more to the film. The performances — and Soderbergh’s lovely vision — deserve more.
• Official Site
• The Good German at IMDb