The Good George

I think it might be appropriate to kick off award season by giving it up for George Clooney - a righteous man who has had HUGE year. "Good Night and Good Luck" was one of the tastiest, most compact little movies - packing a huge whallop - I have seen in a long, long time. (I was so sad when the credits rolled - I wanted more!) I loved the atmosphere (lots and lots of cigarette smoke, which is disgusting in reality but which looks sooooooo cool on black and white film), the music (Diana Reeves is fierce), and George did an extremely smart thing in casting one of my all-time favorite actors, David Strathairn, as Edward R. Murrow.

Ol' George has come a long way since his poofy-hair days as Doug Ross. I remember thinking, when he left "E.R.", "Who's he kidding, trying to become a movie star? T.V. stars NEVER make it in film." Well, let me take this opportunity to officialy EAT MY WORDS. Not only has George succeeded in terms of pure $$$$, but he has blazed a fairly unique trail in current Hollywood, though apparently he owes a huge debt to Warren Beatty, Robert Redford and Paul Newman, according to something I think I read in the NY Times magazine (as you can see, this blog is not very thoroughly researched...). George's choices are political without being bombastic, and he seems to have struck a brilliant balance between blockbusters and art house projects. And I hope that people are beginning to realize that on top of all of his other creative achievements, George really knows how to act. And not just because he gained 35 lbs. for "Syriana." I have a theory that you can't be a great actor unless you are extremely, inately intelligent, and I have a funny feeling that G.C. is one smart guy.

I really can't get over George. I hope he wins a pile of awards this season, and I hope the people around him in Hollywood realize what a rare and thoughtful artist they have in their midst.