GT40FIED
02-15-2006, 08:25 AM
If you haven't seen this movie yet, DO IT. If you're at all concerned with the affairs of the world and how the media portrays them, this is a must see. In short, it's an indictment on how modern media panders to whoever will pay the most money. However, back in the 1950's Edward R. Murrow was strong enough (with the backing of CBS) to take on Joseph McCarthy and his ridiculously unconstitutional hearings against communism. This mirrors our current state today where McCarthy is replaced by FISA and the PATRIOT Act where secret courts convict "suspects" on hearsay evidence and often without any sort of real trial and anyone who opposes them is a terrorist (or in McCarthy's case, a communist). The difference is that back then someone was brave enough to to stand up and call bullshit. These days TV news has been degraded to either partisan hackery (see: Fox News) or people who are so afraid of offending anyone's political offiliation (see: every other cable news station) that the news is merely reduced to infotainment. The sad truth is that there are no more Ed Murrows left in the world. Sponsors would pull advertising, which isn't good for the bottom line, so critical stories don't get read. Although I loath George Clooney (who directed this movie), I must say that it's a fantastic look into how history does almost identically repeat itself (even if it's only 50 years later).
As an interesting side note, this is the second movie I've seen this week with Robert Downey Jr. in it (the first being "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"). As much as I'd love to hate him, he was great in both movies. Who the fuck would've thought?
As an interesting side note, this is the second movie I've seen this week with Robert Downey Jr. in it (the first being "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"). As much as I'd love to hate him, he was great in both movies. Who the fuck would've thought?