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Plot:
"The Good German" takes place in the ruins of post-WWII Berlin, where U.S. Army war correspondent Jake Geismar becomes embroiled with Lena Brandt, a former lover who is trying to escape her past in th...( read more 
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Meet Other Fans
Recent Reviews
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MCT:September 27, 2008
Plotline was okay. I enjoyed the homage to films like Casablanca and the overall style. It just wasn't up to that caliber.
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MCT:September 2, 2008I had a feeling this movie was going o be all in black and white, and it was, which only added to the overall feel of the movie.
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MCT:August 30, 2008
There´s a lack of good work on the characters.
Visually interesting to see the style of the movies of the 40ies. -
MCT:August 4, 2008
This one tries hard, very hard to be a complex tale of a loyal wife and the things she does for her husband but somehow, it doesn't have the tension or the suspense to pull it off.
For the most part it seems like nothing's happening and even while the pair are in immediate danger, it doesn't get above a simmer.
The performances are all very good but it all seems a bit cliched and when her crimes are revealed, it lacks the weight to reflect her guilt and the reason for her actions and just ends up being a bit too matter of fact.
It does look good though but a bit too obvious and a bit slow.... -
MCT:August 4, 2008gloomy, dull movie with odd moments of campyness. Cate Blanchett is good, and Toby Maguire saves a terrible, incongruous performance somewhat by kicking the snot out of a wooden George Clooney in one scene.
By the end of this stinker, i was hoping for a few shots to his ribs myself! ;) -
MCT:August 1, 2008Just awful, self conciously arty. Tries to recreate the feeling of great 40's films but with supposedly modern dialogue, meaning the actors swear every other word, which doesn't make it contemporary just dull and lacking in imagination. Cate Blanchett is fine, but Clooney is arch and Maguire, usually a fine actor is miscast and awful. A dog from the word go!
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MCT:June 28, 2008
Plot twists, time jumps and the numerous characters made this a flic you have to concentrate on but at the end of the tale it's not too bad.
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MCT:June 26, 2008
A pretty good movie. Reminds me of a 1940's style wartime movie, even though, it is set in the late 40's, it has that newsreel type feel. Movie was done fairly well. I would recommend it, if you like WWII intrigue.
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MCT:June 13, 2008
It seems like every director who makes a name for himself feels obligated to, once in his life, "pay homage" to the kind of movies he grew up on: Lucas with Star Wars, Spielberg with Indiana Jones, Rodriguez and Tarantino with Grindhouse, etc.
It seems like Stephen Soderbergh was watching a lot of TCM on T.V. one night, because The Good German is basically a throwback to movies of the '40s. It was filmed in black and white, on studio back lots and soundstages, and cars in motion were simulated by a moving backdrop. Another contributing factor to it's '40s vibe was Thomas Newman's excellent score, also inspired by the films of that period.
It's an interesting experiment, and the cast was good to boot. Unfortunately, the plot was so convoluted that I spent the duration of the movie very fucking confused. Oh, and speaking of the word "fuck", it was used quite a bit throughout the movie, most frequently by Tobey Maguire's character, and that sort of tarnished the overall '40s feel. That, and two sex scenes (one of which involved Tobey Maguire's character), which seem mild when compared to sex scenes in films today. But sex scenes of any kind were in violation of the Hays Code, which was still in effect during that period. So, if you're paying homage to that kind of movie, putting in stuff that would've been deemed too inappropriate for that kind of a film makes absolutely no sense, at least not to me.
Despite the mess of a plot that would normally be a problem, and little nit-pickerys that don't make this flick feel truly vintage, I feel that this is an instance where style beats out substance. I still kinda liked it, and if I find the DVD in a $5.00 bargain bin, I'll probably buy it. -
MCT:May 26, 2008
Visually, nicely done black-&-white noir--and Cate Blanchett performs amazingly (as usual)--but otherwise this has little going for it. A slog.
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MCT:May 20, 2008
I didn't like how the movie was developed!!.. it had a good drama and the frantic tobey was lame but even in the 50's it wouldn't have been quality cinema!!!
The Good German" takes place in the ruins of post-WWII Berlin, where U.S. Army war correspondent Jake Geismar becomes embroiled with Lena Brandt, a former lover who is trying to escape her past in th...( read more )e aftermath of the war. Intrigue mounts as Jake tries to uncover the secrets Lena may be hiding in her desperation to get out of Berlin. Tully, a soldier in the American army motor pool assigned to drive Jake around the city, has black market connections that may be Lena's way out--or lead them all into even darker territory. -
MCT:May 17, 2008
i was surprised at first how poorly received this was. i thought it succeeded well in style and cast, but failed on compelling drama. i didn't really care about anyone other than Lena and i was afraid she was gonna turn out to be a lame bad-guy most of the time.
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MCT:May 12, 2008
An hommage to old times cinema, particularly to Casablanca (it also includes a nearly paste-copy airport scene). What's best is the scene construction technique and Blanchett's performance, who could have been a convincing diva in the 40s. Good but not great
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MCT:April 26, 2008I absolutely loved this film, a great film/ war flick, with 3 solid performances, some people complain about Tobey Maguire who is German speaks in a American accent but that's how films were made in the 40s and 50s
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MCT:April 14, 2008
It's like watching Turner Classic Movies and suddenly noticing Clooney in the middle of an old noir thriller. The effect is simply jarring and took me out of the film again and again.
Rent it if you're curious, but my gut says pass. -
MCT:April 13, 2008
Interesting film noir but the use of period footage for the background makes it look too stagey in places. At times the lighting detracts from the storyline.
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MCT:April 9, 2008On the plus side: the cinematography is sheik, the Russians look and speak Russian (for a change) and there even are some good thoughts about the nature of "justice" thrown into the mix. Sadly, the film spends so much time in front of the mirror admiring its shiny noire outfit, that its level-headed commentary becomes muted, reduced to something of an afterthought.
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MCT:April 6, 2008
I tried getting into this one, but it didnt really jump out at me at all. George Clooney fit well in this, but Toby Maguire really was mis-cast in this-although he did well. Cate Blanchett is always awesome..so the actors did well, the cinematography was awesome with the old black and white theme and the post war theme..so what was missing..? Well..it was trying too hard to be something that its not..an old black and white classic film which it isnt..
And it was just blah..
I'd watch it if I didnt have anything else better to watch but thats about it. -
MCT:April 1, 2008Steven Soderbergh's throwback to the films of the 40s is masterfully done.....
tobey maguire was miscast as tough guy tully -
MCT:March 25, 2008
A homage to the glamorous Hollywood movies of the 1940s. It's stylish in it's film-making while Cate Blanchett is perfect for her role. She looks like she's from that era. The plot was very confusing though and the intensity could have been higher.
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Comments
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terris85017posted 359 days ago -
Despite the black and white presentation of the movie which did take at least 10-15 mins to get used to I thought the whole movie was very nicely done. The acting by Cate Blanchett was amazing! Although I was disappointed with Tobey Maguire; he shouldn't take roles like these, especially after he has played the "ever humble" Peter Parker. And the plot was quite intriguing as well.
posted 542 days ago -
When I first saw then Good German, I thought it was a very good modern noir. I can't believe all the bad critical and audience feedback it's receiving.To me it's one of the most underated films of 2006, along with Miami Vice.
posted 592 days ago
