The Good German

Could this be a subtle homage to wartime classics (read: Casablanca and The Third Man) that manages to stand on its own? Or is it a tired, nostalgic retread, the last refuge of an artistically fatigued director? Although it’s been six years since Soderbergh enjoyed a critical hit, word on the street is that he’s back in form with this one, a much-anticipated adaptation of Joseph Kanon’s acclaimed novel. When a magazine writer returns to Berlin to cover the Potsdam Conference—you know, that event that allowed the superpowers to carve up Germany like a Christmas turkey—he also stumbles on old loves and new murders. Along with moody, black-and-white cinematography and high-wattage stars (George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire), The Good German offers the possibility of some well-scripted, thoughtful holiday entertainment—the kind of movie the studios pumped out by the dozens in the golden age.