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The Good German

The Good German

Drama · Mystery · Romance · 2006

An American journalist arrives in Berlin just after the end of World War Two. He becomes involved in a murder mystery surrounding a dead GI who washes up at a lakeside mansion during the Potsdam negotiations between the Allied powers. Soon his investigation connects with his search for his married pre-war German lover.

Movie details

The Good German

“If war is Hell, then what comes after?”

2006 Drama · Mystery · Romance 1h 48m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.8 / 10

Community rating

An American journalist arrives in Berlin just after the end of World War Two. He becomes involved in a murder mystery surrounding a dead GI who washes up at a lakeside mansion during the Potsdam negotiations between the Allied powers. Soon his investigation connects with his search for his married pre-war German lover.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Good German?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Steven Soderbergh

Written by

Paul Attanasio

George Clooney

George Clooney

Jake Geismar

Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett

Lena Brandt

Tobey Maguire

Tobey Maguire

Tully

Beau Bridges

Beau Bridges

Colonel Muller

Tony Curran

Tony Curran

Danny

Leland Orser

Leland Orser

Bernie Teitel

Jack Thompson

Jack Thompson

Congressman Breimer

Court is in session

Put The Good German on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.