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The Good German [DVD] [2007]
 
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The Good German [DVD] [2007]

DVD ~ George Clooney
2.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
RRP: £16.99
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Frequently Bought Together

The Good German [DVD] [2007] + Good Night and Good Luck [DVD] [2005] + Michael Clayton [DVD] [2007]
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Good German [DVD] [2007]
82% buy the item featured on this page:
The Good German [DVD] [2007] 2.3 out of 5 stars (24)
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Product details

  • Actors: George Clooney, Tobey Maguire, Cate Blanchett
  • Directors: Steven Soderbergh
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: To be announced
  • Studio: Warner Home Video
  • DVD Release Date: 5 Nov 2007
  • Run Time: 103 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000VEODN0
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 8,519 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Despite its flaws, The Good German is a welcome gift for every film lover who laments that "they don't make 'em like they used to." Steven Soderbergh's affectionate, knowing tribute to the black-and-white melodramas of Hollywood's golden age may lack the emotional depth and romantic passion of Michael Curtiz's Casablanca--the 1946 classic it intentionally emulates--but as Soderbergh approximates Curtiz's studio style, he delivers a shimmering, shadowy reminder that movies can be enjoyed for the sheer pleasure of their craftsmanship. Once again serving as his own cinematographer (credited as "Peter Andrews"), Soderbergh went to great lengths to technically and aesthetically re-create the look and feel of a Curtiz production, and Joseph Kanon's source novel (adapted by Quiz Show screenwriter Paul Attanasio) provides a twisting plot set around the historical Potsdam conference in post-World War II Germany. An American military journalist, Capt. Jake Geismer (George Clooney) is in rubble-strewn Berlin to cover the event, and is quickly drawn into a murder plot involving his appointed driver (Tobey Maguire), an old flame-turned-wartime prostitute (Cate Blanchett) and her missing husband, a scientist who possesses pivotal secrets coveted by Americans and Russians in a pre-Cold War bid for power.

Violence, sexual content, and salty dialogue make it clear that this drama is a brashly contemporary homage to films of a bygone era, and not a slavish attempt to copy the past. This yields mixed results in terms of the film's overall appeal; it's gorgeous to look at, but the plot and performances exist in a vacuum, and the entire film feels oddly disengaged from any sense of genuine human emotion. It's probably fair to say that Soderbergh had more fun making the film than most people will have watching it. And yet, as Clooney's character is repeatedly beaten and deceived on his path to cynical enlightenment, The Good German has many qualities that make it recommendable, not the least being the pleasure of following a talented director as he indulges his penchant for bold experimentation. --Jeff Shannon

Synopsis
One of mainstream cinema's most tirelessly inventive directors, Steven Soderbergh delivers another big-budget stylistic experiment with THE GOOD GERMAN. This time around, Soderbergh's target is 1940s film noir. Set in post-war Berlin, the atmospheric thriller is based on the acclaimed novel by Joseph Kanon. Frequent Soderbergh collaborator George Clooney plays Jake Geismer, an American military journalist who has returned to Berlin for the Potsdam Peace Conference. Jake’s driver, Tully (Tobey Maguire), appears innocent upon first glance, but is in fact a major player in the corrupt Berlin underworld. He’s also dating Jake’s former flame, Lena Brandt (Cate Blanchett), whose beauty continues to torment Jake. When Tully’s cadaver washes ashore one day, Jake is shocked to discover that nobody wants to go public with the news. As much as he’d like to forget about Lena, he can’t. Pretty soon, he’s risking his life to help her flee the country. In shooting THE GOOD GERMAN, Soderbergh employed many of the actual filmmaking techniques that were used in the 1940s: black-and-white cinematography, elaborately constructed sets, wide master shots, and a sweeping score. The result is a film that looks and feels like it was made in a much earlier era, yet which contains the graphic language and content of an early 21st-century production.

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Customer Reviews

24 Reviews
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 (3)
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 (7)
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Average Customer Review
2.3 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars To far removed from the book, 28 Nov 2007
By gozeat "Gozeat" (Northampton) - See all my reviews
This is a good film, shot in black and white and very evocative of the immedate post war devestation of Berlin and the corruption that was going on between the so called Allies in the black market and the "exporting" of German scientists. All I would say is see the film and then read the book. If you do it the other way round you will be disappointed. Whilst all films are based on the book they come from and cannot always show the same detail or involved story line, this film takes too many liberties and consequently spoilt it for me.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Stylish but insubstantial. Thoughtful entertainment, even so, 2 Nov 2007
By Hooligween "Rowena the Red" (Kernow, Great Britain) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
Imagine Casablanca meets the Third Man, filmed (of course) in black and white, and starring Cate Blanchett and George Clooney acting against type. That's pretty much what you get with the Good German; post-conflict noir set in the ruins of Germany where the Americans, Soviets, French and British compete ferociously to round up German scientists.

The Good German is occasionally brutal, often sad and it frequently shows its lead characters in a harsh light. Steven Soderbergh has filmed with an uncompromising lens which refuses to flatter even its most beautiful stars -- you can believe the grit, grime and degradation of the ruined German city and its inhabitents.

Clooney takes on another flawed character, a hero with feet of clay who takes huge risks for the woman he once loved. Tobey (Spiderman) Maguire shows up only for a while. Cate Blanchette brilliantly portrays a dangerous, damaged, no-longer-beautiful woman. The language is full-on, often shockingly so.

Yet despite all this good stuff and the strong moral message of the film, it fizzles out a bit right at the end. Afterwards you're left with a 'so?' feeling, almost as if Soderbergh didn't quite want to ram his message home 100%. This makes the Good German very hard to pin down; it's wonderfully constructed and rewarding to watch, but doesn't quite live up to the masterpieces which it seeks to emulate. If you enjoyed Solaris, though, then it should hit all the right buttons.
Ideal for a rental.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Don't mention the war. I mentioned it once but I think that I got away with it., 30 Dec 2007
By Gerry O'neill (Morrisville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
I found the portrayal of Cate Blanchett to be the high point of this movie. Well shot in black and white with superb support from Toby Maguire, this was a consumate performance in an otherwise dull film. I am not a fan of George Clooney and his performance here left a lot to be desired. The movie raises a lot of questions of the morality of war and those who are involved in it from whatever perspective. It gives the lie to the black and white sides of a wartime experience and allows the viewer to examine the multitudeinous shades of grey.

Survival of the fittest is also a central concern and highlights some of the difficulties arriving at an ethical judgemt whenever our own survival is threatened. The backdrop to this whole story is the dirty business of politics and the dividing of the spoils as exemplified by the biblical story of the roman soldiers dividing up Jesus' gaments after his crucifixion.

Cate Blanchette reminds me of Jody Foster in some of her exceptional performances where one is drawn in to the story though that where the rest of the film is below par.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars The Good German
A dissapointing attempt I thought. Having read the book I was expecting better. Too much use of the F word (not in the book) which for me personally becomes really boring. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Pat C

2.0 out of 5 stars No Advert For Goodness
A real dull dog. A hopeless attempt to recreate the style of 1940s/50s noir flicks, with none of their trademark allure or panache. Read more
Published 4 months ago by PhilsterNo1

2.0 out of 5 stars missed the mark by far
I was awfully disappointed by this film. I am a HUGE black and white movie fan and was looking forward to watching a film that had elements of one of my favourites - Casablanca... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ms. F. I. Macdonald

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring
The only thing i enjoyed about this film was watching my wife `wince` every time her dream loverboy George Clooney got beaten up. Read more
Published 7 months ago by G. Johnson

2.0 out of 5 stars Casablancish in style not substance.
As a tribute movie it is very well made, in that it attempts to be of the same film noir style that now is long gone. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Gisli Jokull Gislason

2.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant photography, but a travesty of the book
It could be said in a single phrase - spend an evening reading the (excellent) book instead.

The film is all but incomprehensible. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mondoro

1.0 out of 5 stars Glorious Technocolor
I've seen previous Clooney/Soderbergh collaborations and have been bemused. (I suspect I'm not clever enough to 'get' them). Read more
Published 11 months ago by F. Cotton

1.0 out of 5 stars Vacuous pastiche
Technically, this is an astonishing achievement. From the opening credits the look of the film emulates a 1940s movie. Read more
Published 13 months ago by B W

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worth a watch but could have been better
Just about able to give this the 4 stars because i thought some of the previous reviews were a bit harsh. Read more
Published 13 months ago by M. I. R. Clarke

1.0 out of 5 stars One Word
I have written hundreds of movie and book reviews...hundreds. However, this is the first time I could sum up a film with one word, and that word is "crap."
Published 14 months ago by R. Anderson

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