4. The Good German - Tully
There are a number of noticable problems with The Good German, which are made all the more noticable thanks to the grand ambitions of Soderbergh's project, which ended up being all style and no substance, despite heaps of potential. In it, Maguire plays military journalist Captain Jake Geismer's (George Clooney) driver, who is implicated in a murder investigated along with his employer. It's a meaty role, and one that a classical 1940s star would have done justice to, but Soderbergh's heavy pastiche misses the point that Maguire simply does not fit that model and struggles to make the kind of impact his character patently needs. Looking at the disparity between the beautiful cinematography and the acting performances - including an against-type George Clooney - it's as if Soderbergh just decided to derail his own project. Everything is geared towards a lovingly crafted 1940s noir tribute, but Maguire is completely out of place and doesn't hold the necessary charisma to carry the character.