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The Good German

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The Good German

R

Released Dec 15, 2006

1h 45m

Drama

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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.

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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.

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Namrata Joshi

Outlook

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

Rated: 2/4

Jan 24, 2019

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: B-

Feb 18, 2012

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Brian Tallerico

UGO

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

Mar 24, 2007

Full Review

Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

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.

Rated: 2.5/5

May 28, 2025

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

The film attempts deconstruction of a reconstruction, pessimistically insisting there is no point to that when you can’t understand basic human nature. In that regard, "The Good German" is ambitious but simply a dirge, with no ire or fire to its insights.

Rated: 1.5/5

Apr 26, 2025

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Murtada Elfadl

Sundays with Cate

Cate Blanchett's most underrated performance and the best she's looked on screen.

Rated: B+

May 1, 2020

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thiago s

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.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/28/25

Full Review

Marit Risto F

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

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/30/24

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Kristy Y

This is the worst movie. Terrible acting and an even worse story line. Do not waste your time.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/06/24

Full Review

jelisije j

A nice homage to the classic Casablanca.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

jack s

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.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

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Steven Soderbergh

Director

George Clooney

Jake Geismar

Cate Blanchett

Lena Brandt

Tobey Maguire

Tully

Beau Bridges

Col. Muller

Tony Curran

Danny

Keane

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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
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

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