|
|
 |
| |
Casablanca it ain’t
THE GOOD GERMAN
Directed by Steven Soderburgh
Certificate 15
BERLIN, 1945. Set against the chaos of the ruined city in the immediate aftermath of World War II, there are shades of The Third Man meets Casablanca as cynical war correspondent George Clooney arrives to cover the Potsdam Agreement where Churchill, Stalin and Truman are meeting to divide the spoils.
He immediately becomes embroiled in a steamy saga of sleazy bars and shadowy back alleys when he runs into an old flame, sultry temptress Cate Blanchett, who is desperate to get out of the place and start a new life in America. Her real reason is to smuggle out a secret dossier containing plans for the V2 rocket designed by her missing husband, a top German scientist who is on the run from the Allies.
The newshound smells a good story, and starts to dig a little too deep for his own good. Soon he’s getting kicked around by nasty rough men in wide-brimmed hats and raincoats, chased through the rubble and shot at by unknown enemies who could be British, American, Russian – or all three.
Undeterred, the fearless scribe takes time out to rekindle the ashes of his old affair, which in view of the trouble he’s in proves he either has a very healthy libido or a very thick skin. Director Steven Soderbergh’s suspense thriller all adds up to a tortuous, confusing tale of murder, intrigue and double-dealing. Shot in grainy black-and-white, it seems more like an experimental movie than the finished product.
Sorry, but Casablanca and The Third Man, it ain’t.
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
