An impeccable evocation of an earlier era, but
not a freestanding film. The Good German, Steven Soderbergh’s meticulous melding of Casablanca and postwar film noirs, is awash in delectable period detail, from the shadowy black-and-white cinematography (also handled by Soderbergh) to the swooshing font used for the title to Thomas Newman’s music, which recalls the March of Time newsreels from the war years. Less impressive are the performances. Cate Blanchett, a chameleon, blends right in, but Tobey Maguire and George Clooney are sore thumbs (the latter is often thought of as a classic screen
star, but this reveals him to be irrevocably modern).
