Classic film noir has a crisp, high-contrast look. "The Good German" has gauzy, soft-focus cinematography that would be more appropriate in a perfume commercial. The mushy images and consistently overexposed highlights make the film hard on the eyes and a chore to watch.
The poor cinematography might be tolerable if the script were worthwhile. Unfortunately, the script is even worse than the photography. The story plods from one uninteresting plot point to another with no sense of momentum. The acting is nothing special, either -- not that anyone could save such an ugly, badly written film.
The obvious comparison is to Jacques Tourneur's "Berlin Express," a 1948 noir set in post-war Berlin. Tourneur's film is one of his weaker efforts, but it's a minor masterpiece compared to Soderbergh's failed pseudo-noir.
The poor cinematography might be tolerable if the script were worthwhile. Unfortunately, the script is even worse than the photography. The story plods from one uninteresting plot point to another with no sense of momentum. The acting is nothing special, either -- not that anyone could save such an ugly, badly written film.
The obvious comparison is to Jacques Tourneur's "Berlin Express," a 1948 noir set in post-war Berlin. Tourneur's film is one of his weaker efforts, but it's a minor masterpiece compared to Soderbergh's failed pseudo-noir.