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IMDbPro

Good

  • 20082008
  • RR
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
7.4K
YOUR RATING
Good (2008)
In 1930s Germany, literature professor John Halder (Mortensen) finds his novel, which advocates compassionate euthanasia, embraced by his political figures and tied to his country's growing sense of nationalism and prosperity.
Play trailer2:25
5 Videos
21 Photos
  • Drama
  • Romance
  • War
John Halder, a German literature professor in the 1930s, is initially reluctant to accept the ideas of the Nazi Party. He is pulled in different emotional directions by his wife, mother, mis... Read allJohn Halder, a German literature professor in the 1930s, is initially reluctant to accept the ideas of the Nazi Party. He is pulled in different emotional directions by his wife, mother, mistress and Jewish friend.John Halder, a German literature professor in the 1930s, is initially reluctant to accept the ideas of the Nazi Party. He is pulled in different emotional directions by his wife, mother, mistress and Jewish friend.
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
7.4K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Vicente Amorim
  • Writers
    • C.P. Taylor(stage play)
    • John Wrathall(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Viggo Mortensen
    • Jason Isaacs
    • Jodie Whittaker
Top credits
  • Director
    • Vicente Amorim
  • Writers
    • C.P. Taylor(stage play)
    • John Wrathall(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Viggo Mortensen
    • Jason Isaacs
    • Jodie Whittaker
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 55User reviews
    • 61Critic reviews
    • 40Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos5

    Good: Trailer
    Trailer 2:25
    Good: Trailer
    Good
    Clip 1:47
    Good
    Good
    Clip 1:33
    Good
    Good
    Clip 1:46
    Good
    Good
    Clip 1:34
    Good

    Photos21

    Viggo Mortensen and Jodie Whittaker in Good (2008)
    Viggo Mortensen and Jodie Whittaker in Good (2008)
    Viggo Mortensen in Good (2008)
    Viggo Mortensen and Jason Isaacs in Good (2008)
    Viggo Mortensen in Good (2008)
    Jason Isaacs in Good (2008)
    Viggo Mortensen in Good (2008)
    Viggo Mortensen and Vicente Amorim in Good (2008)
    Jodie Whittaker at an event for Good (2008)
    Viggo Mortensen and Jason Isaacs at an event for Good (2008)
    Good (2008)
    Good (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Viggo Mortensen
    Viggo Mortensen
    • Halderas Halder
    Jason Isaacs
    Jason Isaacs
    • Mauriceas Maurice
    Jodie Whittaker
    Jodie Whittaker
    • Anneas Anne
    Steven Mackintosh
    Steven Mackintosh
    • Freddieas Freddie
    Mark Strong
    Mark Strong
    • Bouhleras Bouhler
    Gemma Jones
    Gemma Jones
    • Motheras Mother
    Anastasia Hille
    Anastasia Hille
    • Helenas Helen
    Ruth Gemmell
    Ruth Gemmell
    • Elisabethas Elisabeth
    Ralph Riach
    Ralph Riach
    • Brunauas Brunau
    Steven Elder
    Steven Elder
    • Eichmannas Eichmann
    Kevin Doyle
    Kevin Doyle
    • Commandantas Commandant
    David de Keyser
    David de Keyser
    • Mandelstamas Mandelstam
    Guy Henry
    Guy Henry
    • Doctoras Doctor
    Adrian Schiller
    Adrian Schiller
    • Goebbelsas Goebbels
    Rick Warden
    Rick Warden
    • Brownshirtas Brownshirt
    Charlie Condou
    Charlie Condou
    • Bekemeieras Bekemeier
    Tallulah Bond
    • Lotteas Lotte
    • (as Tallulah Boote Bond)
    Ben Segal
    • Ericas Eric
    • (as Benedict Segal)
    • Director
      • Vicente Amorim
    • Writers
      • C.P. Taylor(stage play)
      • John Wrathall(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was originally to be directed by Lone Scherfig in 2005, with Hugh Jackman as Halder.
    • Goofs
      In the scene, when Halder takes a walk with his ex-wife in the cemetery, which is supposed to be in Berlin, Germany, Hungarian names are clearly visible on the gravestones.
    • Quotes

      [Halder eats the cheesecake that Maurice gave him]

      Maurice: Where are you going to get proper Jewish cheesecake when you've locked up all the Jews, eh? Unless you give a special dispensation to Epstein's.

    • Soundtracks
      Decorator's Song - Ging Heut Morgens über's feld
      from Songs of a Wayfarer

      Written by Gustav Mahler

    User reviews55

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Wait... a Nazi/war movie without any violence??
    If you're looking for a war flick with a lot of action, artillery and things blowing up, you might want to move on. "Good" is a slow moving, subtle, intellectual film that may bore many filmgoers, but if you're looking for more than the typical Hollywood action/war flick then definitely check this one out.

    A reasonably faithful adaptation of the famous 1981 play (using much of the same dialogue, scenes and characterizations), this film is about an honest, moral, "good" family man who gets passively caught up in the pro-Nazi movement. All the while, he denies culpability and defends his moral fiber by writing off the movement as a passing phase that's no big deal, but gradually his involvement deepens to the point that he's materially assisting in the worst atrocities that humans have ever committed against one another. For this, the film is deliberately slow because that's the point it's making: that the conversion from "good" to "evil" is not a sudden snap like getting bitten by a vampire and turning into one overnight. Rather, it's a very imperceptible shift that's akin to starting a temp job in the mail room and slowly working your way up the ladder to the executive board before you've realized that you've sold your soul to the corporation.

    Viggo Mortensen plays "Halder", a college professor who hates the Nazi party but reluctantly agrees to write a paper for them because he needs the money. Perfectly acceptable choice, right? Well, this leads to another choice which is equally understandable. Then another and another. His Jewish best friend "Maurice" (Jason Isaacs) is the voice of reason, warning him quite forcefully about the seduction of the Nazi party, but like a worsening drug addict, Halder insists that he's doing nothing wrong and he's in control of his moral fiber. At the same time there's another seduction going on: a pretty young student of his (Jodie Whittaker) is slowly drawing Halder away from his wife & family. The story keeps building momentum, and as an added surreal element, Halder begins having hallucinations of strangers singing different Mahler pieces.

    The acting is fantastic, not just Viggo's performance but particularly Jason Isaac's portrayal of the friend. The two of them have some great dialogues, and the dynamic of their relationship is really interesting to watch as it changes. This also leads to a very powerful climax at the end of the film.

    Far more than a war flick or even a historical piece, "Good" is a powerful, realistic explanation of human nature and how good people can do bad things. And it doesn't matter how moral we may feel about ourselves and our life choices, I guarantee that each of us is at some level guilty of the same insidious hypocrisy shown here. If you accept this and take a sober look at your own life, then this film may make you a better person.

    "Good" is one of those films that will sit in your mind for a long time afterwards. I can't think of too many movies that compare, but the pacing and slow buildup to a stunning conclusion remind me of the classics "The Spy Who Came In from the Cold" (1965), or even "Streetcar Named Desire" (1951). If you're looking for other unusual spins on the holocaust, look for the Czech film "Protektor" (2009) or the Italian feel-good holocaust flick (huh?) "Life is Beautiful" (1997). And if you really want your mind blown about human nature, Naziism and the power of authority to turn normal people into killers, go to YouTube and watch the 1962 documentary "The Stanley Milgram Experiment".
    helpful•6
    1
    • rooprect
    • Nov 6, 2019

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 17, 2009 (United Kingdom)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • Germany
    • Official site
      • Good Films Collective
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • French
    • Also known as
      • 毀滅效應
    • Filming locations
      • Budapest, Hungary
    • Production companies
      • Good Films Collective
      • Miromar Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $27,276
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $9,508
      • Jan 4, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,552,024
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital EX
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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