Good Night and Good Luck uses highlights in history to thoroughly explain our present, when there is a pressing need for an independent and free press. Written by George Clooney with Grant Heslov and directed by the former, it presents a reputable tribute to the journalistic virtue of renowned CBS newscaster Edward R. Murrow, the only newscaster who was brave enough to confront the widespread and dictatorial witch-hunting of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin in 1953 – 1954. He succeeded and was known as a real truth-seeker, a man who fights against the corruption of governmental and corporate powers. Murrow (David Trahairn) is a realist. He is very much aware of the biased tactics that will be implemented against him. Clooney provides vital backup and support through Murrow’s producer and close friend Fred Friendly, William Paley (Frank Langella), the CBS chief who nervously supports Murrow’s cause even under constant peril of reprisals. This team gives Murrow a menacing but not entirely unafraid trio of broadcasting boldness. The cinematography of Good Night and Good Luck is done by Robert Eswit and vividly recreates the stunning environment of the CBS newsroom and the early days of television. Clooney (who ironically is the son of a newsman himself) proves his skill in directing by using large themes and an appraised ensemble cast, never flying low to simplify ethically complicated material. Good Night and Good Luck is considered to have instantly become a classic, destined for all the praise it so deserves.
–Jeff Shannon