The Good German

Play trailer

The Good German

R

2006

1h 45m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

34%

Tomatometer

153 Reviews

33%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Jake Geismar (George Clooney), an Army correspondent, helps his former lover, Lena Brandt (Cate Blanchett), comb post-World War II Berlin for her missing husband, who is wanted by American and Russian forces. Shadowing their efforts is Jake's driver, Tully (Tobey Maguire), a GI with connections to the black market. His loyalties unclear to them, Lena and Jake know that Tully has the power to lead them to salvation or great danger.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Though Steven Soderbergh succeeds in emulating the glossy look of 1940s noirs, The Good German ultimately ends up as a self-conscious exercise in style that forgets to develop compelling characters.

Read Critics Reviews

Namrata Joshi

Outlook

01/24/2019

2/4

There's a certain distance with which you view the characters, the involvement is not such that they stay with you after the film.

Go to Full Review

Brian Tallerico

UGO

03/24/2007

It's Soderbergh's commitment and creativity that lift The Good German above many of its peers, no matter the era.

Go to Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

03/08/2007

Why emphasise flaws in a film of such overall ambition and expertise?

Go to Full Review

Noah Berlatsky

Splice Today

4d

This is one of the great World War II films, precisely because it turns the genre against itself and against the American self-aggrandizement that has generally been its purpose.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 17

2/4

There's not much beyond self-conscious mise-en-scènes and a lead actor who isn't mysterious or magnetic as much as he's simply aloof.

Go to Full Review

Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

May 28

2.5/5

The Good German is quite successful in capturing the look & feel of the classic film noirs it's paying homage to, but sadly it ends up being far less successful when it comes to the film's actual substance.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

thiago s

@Thiagostone May 28

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom.

See more

Marit Risto F

10/30/2024

Surprisingly bad acting from these fabulous, and experienced actors/actresses. The script must have impossible...

See more

jelisije j

@jjosifovic 06/14/2022

A nice homage to the classic Casablanca.

See more

jack s

01/07/2022

A self-indulgent curiosity that has a classic vintage film look, but not the gripping story and memorable characters that could have made it special. Clooney is solid, Blanchett is great (as always), but the usually likable Maguire and Bridges are both mis-cast. Also, the screenplay is frustratingly confusing and the film's ending is completely flat—the audience has long been aware by then what depths Lena (powerfully played by Blanchett) is capable of to survive. In fact, the ending is a perfect example of what's wrong with film as a whole: the director seemed concerned exclusively with the Casablanca finale-like visuals.

See more

09/16/2021

What a waste of time. You can not create the classic movie-making period of the '40s. Move forward, honor the past.

See more

deke p

06/26/2021

Xlnt modern film noir, post WW2 Germany in rubble, Clooney as reporter. Good cast. If you don't appreciate this genre, you won't get the movie. It was a downer. Saw on TV pbs 6.26.21

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Steven Soderbergh

Director

George Clooney

Jake Geismar

Cate Blanchett

Lena Brandt

Tobey Maguire

Tully

Beau Bridges

Col. Muller

Tony Curran

Danny

Keane

82%

70%

Keane

Watchlist

Michael Clayton

90%

69%

Michael Clayton

Watchlist

Bubble

72%

61%

Bubble

Watchlist

The Walker

55%

28%

The Walker

Watchlist

10th and Wolf

19%

52%

10th and Wolf

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Jake Geismar (George Clooney), an Army correspondent, helps his former lover, Lena Brandt (Cate Blanchett), comb post-World War II Berlin for her missing husband, who is wanted by American and Russian forces. Shadowing their efforts is Jake's driver, Tully (Tobey Maguire), a GI with connections to the black market. His loyalties unclear to them, Lena and Jake know that Tully has the power to lead them to salvation or great danger.

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Producer: Ben Cosgrove, Gregory Jacobs
Screenwriter: Paul Attanasio
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Bros., Section Eight Ltd.
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content|Language|Violence)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 15, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.3M
Runtime: 1h 45m

Most Popular at Home Now