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  EW review: Heartfelt 'Good Night'Also: Refreshing 'History of Violence'By Steve Daly  YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(Entertainment Weekly) -- After he bombed in 1997's "Batman & Robin," George Clooney cried mea culpa. He mocked himself and his rubber nipples in hopes of beating the public to the punchline. It worked, and helped keep his career humming. But when it comes to "Good Night, and Good Luck," his accomplished, heartfelt salute to TV newsman Edward R. Murrow (whom David Strathairn imbues with both nervy gravitas and scared-sick agita), Clooney has nothing to apologize for. As director, co-writer, and supporting player, he hits his intended marks, even if Oscar night left the movie a high-profile bridesmaid. So why does Clooney spend so much of the DVD's commentary track, shared with producer and co-writer Grant Heslov, tossing off self-deprecating wisecracks and metaphorically hanging his head? Simple: The commentary was recorded before awards season kicked into high gear, so Clooney didn't know yet if he'd hit a single, a double, a homer -- or struck out. He talks about "Good Luck" having flashy bows at the Venice and New York film festivals (circa September 2005), but beyond that, he confesses, "I don't know what to expect with the film." Into that vacuum he throws boomerangs that circle back to bean him. He bemoans his pudginess (left over from making "Syriana"), mocks his status as "the former sexiest man alive," and maintains that he cribbed so heavily from Mike Nichols, Sidney Lumet, and documentarian D.A. Pennebaker that he sent them "apology letters." Relax, ex-Batman. This time, you threw your bat-belt grappling hook at a high ledge and it held. Maybe someday, on a download "Good Luck" edition, you can apologize for all the apologizing. EW Grade: A- 'A History of Violence'Reviewed by Jeff Labrecque Since debuting as one of the obscure Amish farmers in 1985's "Witness," Viggo Mortensen has matured into his generation's Harrison Ford. He ruled as the swashbuckling loner in Peter Jackson's Tolkien trilogy, and in "A History of Violence," David Cronenberg's deft adaptation of John Wagner and Vince Locke's graphic novel, he's the perfect Tom Stall: a decent man in a sleepy town whose surprising act of heroism places his family in danger. Like Ford, he conveys both wholesomeness and raw aggression with such ease that his range of talent can go unrecognized beneath his good looks. EXTRAS A superior collection of extras provides an all-access guided tour, from hilarious phone recordings of Mortensen learning the local patois from Mario Bello's Philly-bred uncle to Cronenberg's video diary of the film's premiere at Cannes. In contrast to studio-orchestrated DVD retrospectives, the refreshing "Acts of Violence" documentary is a guerrilla-style chronicle of the production's spontaneity and collaboration. The camera leans in when the leads discuss last-minute sexual choreography and when Ed Harris provokes Bello with improvised dialogue. Filmmaking 101, from Professor Cronenberg: a prerequisite for negligent Oscar voters. EW Grade: A Click Here 
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