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Good Night and Good Luck (2005) --> Unfortunately for George Clooney, this film would have made a great documentary but it lacks impact as a fictional drama. Filmed in black and white and occupying most of the film with Murrow's on air commentary or archive footage of McCarthy's speeches, the film has the motis operandi of a documentary just lacking the narration and 1st party interviews to complete it. Clooney has taken this film too seriously and for 93 minutes he bores us to death. At least the drama has a moral to pass on and Dianne Reeves blesses us with her interpretation of Harold Arlen's classic song "One for my Baby (and One More for the Road)" among others. David Strathairn also does a great job playing Murrow. But the story itself, though important, doesn't translate well to the big screen.


Full Spectrum Staff

The Third Man (1949) --> Carol Reed's best film starred Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, a down on his luck two-bit novelist, who is invited to post-war Vienna by friend Harry Lime. When Lime turns up dead from an apparent automobile accident, Martins relentlessly investigates what he believes is a suspicious course of events. Considered one of the best films of the film-noire bend, The Third Man is a dark thriller that won the Grand Prix Award at Cannes for 1949. Compared with Citizen Kane for camera work (not surprising as Welles also stars in the film), and written by one of the 20th Century's greatest English novelists (Graham Greene), The Third Man is a great addition to a DVD collection.


Scott D. Brown

Bambi II (2006) --> The time period between Bambi's mother's death and Bambi's adulthood is explored in this sequel to the 1942 classic. The main focus is the relationship between Bambi and his father. Bambi must try to make his father proud and his father must balance his responsibilities in protecting the does and his attention to the raising of his son. The film lacks excitement and has little of the emotional impact of the original.


Full Spectrum Staff

Valiant (2005) --> This British animated feature film by first time director Gary Chapman, although a bit short (76 minutes) is worthy to stand along side Disney's films such as Chicken Little. It tells the story of Valiant (voiced by Ewan McGregor), a smaller than average pigeon who wishes to join the Royal Carrier Pigeon Service and in doing so add his effort to the War (WWII). This feel good movie about succeeding over difficult odds may be cliche but it still works.


Full Spectrum Staff

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