Film reviews
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It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.
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The Dictator
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The Woman In Black
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Good (Film)
Rating: M
Running Time: 92
Country: UK
Director: Vincente Amorim
Cast: Jason Isaacs, Steven Mackintosh, Viggo Mortensen, Jodie Whittaker
Distributor: Paramount
Release Date: April 09, 2009
Film Worth: $12.00
FILMINK rates movies out of $20 - the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth“...leaves a mark upon you...”
If you were a literature professor and were asked to write a paper based on themes from a novel that you had written, for a large amount of money and distinction, would you? What if it was Germany in the thirties and that paper was to be used as propaganda for an emerging government with questionable ideals?
Notions of "what would you have done?" form the central premise of Good. Based on the play by C.P Taylor, it examines how an ordinary man becomes a highly ranked member of the Nazi party. John Halder (Viggo Mortensen) is a good man - supportive of his mentally-absent wife and ailing mother - who is tempted by the possibility of greatness. After writing the paper, he's placed upon an ascending escalator of rapid career advancement, social prominence and monetary reward, each step brought about more by circumstance and inaction rather than by his enthusiastic choice.
The film's strength lies in its examination of Halder's relationship with Maurice (Jason Isaacs), his oldest friend, who as a Jew acts as the voice of moral reason in the film. Maurice's growing desperation at the events unfolding acts as a mirror to the cumulative effects of Halder's seemingly innocuous decisions...should he be willing to look. Halder begins to hear imaginary music at points in the film where it seems that he has the opportunity to stop and consider the man that he is becoming. The use of these surreal moments in an otherwise grounded film are intriguing, but the concept is not fully realised.
Good is so very good, but it only scratches the surface of Halder's character and the cost of his inactions. It inevitably leaves a mark upon you, but with a more considered portrayal, it could have permeated the viewer like an indelible stain.
