Review of The Good German (2006) by Matt B — 09 Feb 2009

I feel like people are being a little too hard on this movie. Yes, it's almost clear that Soderbergh's goal here was to pay homage to the films of old, styling "The Good German" heavily after "Casablanca.

" But just because a movie's style outweighs its substance doesn't mean the substance isn't there. The plot is compelling, if a little hard to follow at times. Maguire's natural innocence only adds to his character's deceptiveness, and his story arc works rather brilliantly in a dramatic sense.

Clooney's being Clooney, which is okay in this role. The only performance I have a big problem with is Cate Blanchett, who honestly does not know what the hell she's supposed to be doing in the majority of her scenes.

All in all though, I liked "The Good German.".