John Halder is a good man living in difficult times. His home life is hard, with a neurotic wife, demanding kids and a mother suffering from dementia. As an outlet this literary professor writes a novel where he explores his personal experiences, advocating the use of euthanasia. A few years later, the newly elected Nazi party notices his book. They’re impressed with the views portrayed in his novel and pay him to write a paper in support of the subject.
Halder soon finds himself being swept unwittingly up the Nazi ranks, becoming an honorary member of the Schutzstaffel (SS) much to the disgust of his best friend, a Jewish doctor.
His friendship is stretched further as the party stroke his ego and encourage his relationships with a younger woman. Blinded by the high life, Halder doesn’t notice what is happening around him or what his is slowly becoming. Terrified at the thought of loosing his best friend, Halder tries to help him escape the impending persecution.
Viggo Mortensen is once again in his element playing an interesting off beat character – essentially a slightly brow beaten, unassuming, some might say nervous, professor. It’s fascinating to see his character develop over the movie into an energetic man enjoying the high life.
But Good is not just about a man being set free, it’s about the choices we make, and the reality of the consequences that follow. Good takes serious a look at how easy it was for normal, good Germans to get swept up in the giddy optimism of National Socialism, despite the increasingly harsh restrictions being imposed on the Jews.
It’s a fascinating story that deserves a repeat viewing as there seems to be a lot more to this movie than can be grasp in a single siting.
Reviewed by: Jonathan Read
Rating: [M] contains offensive language.
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Jason Isaacs, Jodie Whittaker, Steven Mackintosh, Mark Strong, Gemma Jones
Directed by: Vicente Amorim
Genre: Drama, Adaptation
Duration: 1hr 36mins
