The Good German | 
| Director: Steven Soderbergh
Actors: Jack Thompson, John Roeder, George Clooney, Tobey Maguire, Cate Blanchett
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $19.97 (100%)
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Rating:  79 reviews
Sales Rank: 19137
Format: Ac-3, Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), German (Original Language), Russian (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 108 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 012569736672
UPC: 012569736672
EAN: 0012569736672
ASIN: B000OY8NBK
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Release Date: May 22, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
WHILE IN POST-WAR BERLIN TO COVER THE POTSDAM CONFERENCE, AN AMERICAN MILITARY JOURNALIST IS DRAWN INTO A MURDER INVESTIGATION WHICH INVOLVES HIS FORMER MISTRESS & HIS DRIVER.
Amazon.com
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 R-rated 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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 74 more reviews...
 Not like the book June 20, 2009
minnie96 (Northeast)
On what planet did they make this movie? It is so different from the book, e.g. Lena and Renate are combined into one character which completely changes Lena's relationship with Jake. I thought the book was an excellent read and was so looking forward to seeing it as a movie -- total disappointment! And when George Clooney isn't getting beat up, he looks jowly and worn-out. If you liked the book, don't bother with the movie!
 The Good German got better! May 25, 2009
Dr. J. E. Nel (South Africa)
George Clooney, to me and only to me, is not such a good actor (my apology to his millions of fans) but every now and then he surprises me. In "The Good German" Clooney is more than competent and reveals a side to his acting not usually seen, and produces a convincing performance as Captain Geismar, who tries to unravel a murder mystery and to come to grips with his own emotions. Is this a film for everyone? Not at all, but those who enjoy the reality of film noir and superb directing will revel in this film.
 Messy and dull March 3, 2009
Val (RI)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Good German takes place in sort of post world war II Berlin. Japan has not been bombed yet and a army journalist(Clooney) arrives in Berlin for, in my understanding, a conference. He is not a stranger to Berlin. He lived there before the war and was in some sort of relationship with Cate Blanchett's character. Upon arrival, he is issued a driver, played to the point of annoyance by Tobey Maguire. Surprise suprise, Tobey's character is now involved with Cate's character and then we find out that Cate's husband, who everyone, including her assumes died in the war-but maybe not? Yea... it can get a tad confusing.
This murder mystery does not have a good handle of things from the onset. There are many problems with this film, most deriving from the script and characters. Tobey Maguire sticks out like a sore thumb in this-just badly miscast any way you look at it. George Clooney plays the same character in every film-no surprise. Cate B. is extraodinary as usual, so versatile you would never believe she WASN'T German. But even she can't save this convoluted mess of a film.
There is murder, and mystery and a boring romantic subplot that goes nowhere, and characters you can't even begin to care for for various reasons. I can see why this bombed in theaters. The one thing this film has going for it, is its authentic look. Shot entirely in black and white, it comes so very close to the old films we all know that it's just a shame the actual plot can't be any better.
I'm always amazed by the five star reviews of certain films. I know everyone has a right to their opinion, but if you rank this 5 stars, what are you comparing this to? I mean, the rating can't get any higher, not on Amazon. So really, is this truly one of the best films you've ever seen?
disappointed February 16, 2009
ConneS (Newport, NE)
The one thing I would have liked to know before purchasing this movie was the use of the "f" word, plus the plot was thin. I was disappointed in this movie for the simple fact of the language and find this word to be soooo offensive. I also find this to be a juvenilistic approach to making a movie. Can't the actors act without using this kind of language. If they had wanted to make a movie in the old style maybe they should have paid attention to some of the old movies. I just watched "Twelve O'Clock High" with Gregory Peck which was great and no offensive language, the actors and the plot stood on their own.
Nice try, but the story doesn't fly February 10, 2009
John D. Aldridge (Waimanalo, Hawaii)
Some stylish bits, enjoyable black and white, wisps of 40's Warner's Bros style music..there are some things that work good in this film. A plodding story that really never gets off the ground. Style cannot surmount a weak story. Clooney and especially Blanchett make it worthwhile for at least one go-around. Some rough language and one sex scene just didn't belong.
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