'From the first minute he's onscreen, David Strathairn is Edward R Murrow. From the lean physique and dark features to his taciturn air, imperturbable disposition and implacable directness of address, the habitually understated actor entirely inhabits the biggest screen role of his career.

'In a piece not intended as a psychological study, Strathairn quietly suggests the ways in which Murrow's challenge of McCarthy tested the depth of his character's nerve, resolve and self-certainty. It's a tour de force performance of great subtlety in a deliberately narrow range.'