"Good night and good luck"

The signature signoff for news legend Edward R. Murrow is also the title of a film depicting his struggle with Joe McCarthy in the mid-1950s. Last night we went to the Odeon Theater in Florence to see this film, directed by and starring George Clooney, and also starring David Straithairn as Murrow. The film’s powerful production values, claustrophobic but hypnotic camera work and absolutely riveting performance by Straitharn made this film eminently enjoyable for both of us. Nor was the historical relevance lost on anyone in the small group attending this “original language” showing at the Odeon last evening.

Located in the what was at one time the Palazzo Strozzi, just a short block away from the Piazza della Repubblica, the Odeon is a gorgeous theater. Seating some 688 people, it is part of a small chain of movie houses located in Florence, Empoli and Pistoia. (Click here to visit their website.) The Odeon certainly brought back very fond memories of movies theaters in the Midwestern United States, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with heavy dark draperies, lovely trims throughout the upper balcony area and an enormous stained glass dome in the ceiling. The seats were comfortable, very soft and relaxing, and the snack bar on the way in had all the amenities Americans would have come to expect (like popcorn) but also a full bar as well.

Movies are shown two or three times for just one day only (it depends upon the length of the film) and they apparently rotate among the theaters in the chain, although only the Odeon shows the film with the original sound, making it one of the more unique theaters in the area. Although the majority of cinemas in Italy show US films, they are almost invariably dubbed into Italian (which is quite an industry here we are told). The Odeon, by contrast, show the film in the original language with Italian subtitles.

The ticket price was 7.20 euros for an adult. We went to the 6:15 show, which left us plenty of time to get home and fix dinner. And speaking of dinner, the last show of the evening, at 9:00 p.m. provided an optional light buffet supper for a small additional cost.

The schedule for February is filled with new and recent US films, and we’ve targeted “Fun with Dick and Jane” for next week and then “Jarhead” the week after.