Good (2008)

It is a fine piece of acting from Mortensen, who portrays his character’s weakness superbly. But Good sometimes lacks pace and direction. On balance this is an intelligent and sensitive approach to a very dark era of history.

It may have been a good stage play: people say it was. But its author, the late C.P. Taylor, was not around to stop it becoming a lousy film.

Mortensen isn't bad, though he looks merely absent-minded rather than anguished.

The original play, once dubbed one of the 100 best of the century, is fleshed out with skill by Amorim but somehow his film never comes fully to life. Even its melodramatic ending falls flat.

Despite strong performances and decent production design, Good lacks the emotional weight it needs to deliver the requisite punch. Disappointing.

Set in that weird film version of Nazi Germany full of RADA-trained Home Counties poshos, Good is, in a sense, an amazing achievement- it makes the Holocaust boring.

There's probably a great film to be made about the way ordinary Germans succumbed to the allure of Nazism – but this weakly directed film, adapted from CP Taylor's acclaimed 1981 stage play, isn't it.

This isn't gritty realism; it's a morality tale, and it's made with quiet passion and real power

Viggo Mortensen stars as Prof John Halder - far too handsome for such a part: in life, the bookish are usually ugly as sin, let's face facts.

Viggo Mortensen stars as Prof John Halder - far too handsome for such a part: in life, the bookish are usually ugly as sin, let's face facts.