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Munich (Steven Spielberg)
"Spielberg Is Back At Directing Good Films"
The year is 1972 and Palestinian terrorist have eleven Israeli hostages from the Olympcis in Munich. After a shootout and explosions, the deaths of the Israeli Olympians send shock waves through the nation. Avner, an Israeli Mossad officer is given the task of killing those responsible for Munich. Avner and his team begin their mission and it costs them more then they could have expected.
Spielberg's last couple of films have been sub-par at best and seems funny to me that this wave of lackluster films started off as crap and ended off as crap. Both A.I. and War of the Worlds were not of Spielberg's caliber, but now he has made his best film since Saving Private Ryan and is back at directing good films.
Munich is an intense film, it has haunting images, especially the opening segments with the terrorist taking the Israeli hostages. Unlike most films today, Munich is grounded. When people are shot, you see it's grittiness, people don't fly backwards. It's message of violence never solves anything is evident in the film's own violence. From being stabbed in the face with a butcher knife, to being shot in the throat naked. Munich does not go light on the realism of violence.
Bana leads the cast with a great performance, much better then his previous efforts Hulk and Troy, even if he was the best thing in Troy. One scene that connects with the audience is when Bana is talking to his daughter on the phone, when his child says "dada" for the first time, the tears of joy and fear are immediately brought to Bana's face. He is overjoyed with the fact that he hears his daughter and she knows it's her father, but also fears that if he continues on with the mission, he may never be able to see her. Beautifully done scene, Bana expresses his emotions perfectly and Spielberg captures it all on screen.
Spielberg mixed actual footage of the Munich massacre and filmed footage well. The opening was a harsh reality of the violence in this world and Spielberg handled it extremely well. His only fault, would be the ending. In which you see the Twin Towers in the background, it felt like we was trying to get tears out of the audience for the sake of it. Yes we remember they were once there, they're not there now. Even if they were still standing in it's time period, it felt out of place.
The films faults are few, but the are faults that effect the film nonetheless. The Twin Towers, as I mentioned and the sex scene at the end. To me it felt like a Gatorade commercial, with Bana's sweat flying all over the place. You knew that Spielberg was going to inter-cut this scene with the massacre of the hostages and it doesn't fit too well. Running fifteen some odd minutes short of three hours, Munich does drag in some scenes, but others are so intense, that it makes up for it.
The film is controversial and will challenge you to think if what they did was justified. You can make your own judgement on that, but we see the horrors that plague Bana after his mission was "over". Trying to cope with his ordinary life with his family, looking over his soldier for somebody that may have a target on him. Paraniod and Depressed is how he feels after his actions, not being able to sleep, always looking out his window. Whether you can connect with it's characters or not, you have to give sympathy for the hardships that he had to endure, and will endure.
In Munich we get a glimpse of what Bond will look like in the upcoming Casino Royale. As Spielberg gives Craig a silenced handgun, it screams bond and was humorous to see. You may not cry at this film, but you will be changed in some way. It's intensity and message is conveyed clearly and will affect those we see this film. It's nice to see Spielberg is back at what we does best, and not seeing him and Cruise blow crap up.
8.5/10
"Spielberg Is Back At Directing Good Films"
The year is 1972 and Palestinian terrorist have eleven Israeli hostages from the Olympcis in Munich. After a shootout and explosions, the deaths of the Israeli Olympians send shock waves through the nation. Avner, an Israeli Mossad officer is given the task of killing those responsible for Munich. Avner and his team begin their mission and it costs them more then they could have expected.
Spielberg's last couple of films have been sub-par at best and seems funny to me that this wave of lackluster films started off as crap and ended off as crap. Both A.I. and War of the Worlds were not of Spielberg's caliber, but now he has made his best film since Saving Private Ryan and is back at directing good films.
Munich is an intense film, it has haunting images, especially the opening segments with the terrorist taking the Israeli hostages. Unlike most films today, Munich is grounded. When people are shot, you see it's grittiness, people don't fly backwards. It's message of violence never solves anything is evident in the film's own violence. From being stabbed in the face with a butcher knife, to being shot in the throat naked. Munich does not go light on the realism of violence.
Bana leads the cast with a great performance, much better then his previous efforts Hulk and Troy, even if he was the best thing in Troy. One scene that connects with the audience is when Bana is talking to his daughter on the phone, when his child says "dada" for the first time, the tears of joy and fear are immediately brought to Bana's face. He is overjoyed with the fact that he hears his daughter and she knows it's her father, but also fears that if he continues on with the mission, he may never be able to see her. Beautifully done scene, Bana expresses his emotions perfectly and Spielberg captures it all on screen.
Spielberg mixed actual footage of the Munich massacre and filmed footage well. The opening was a harsh reality of the violence in this world and Spielberg handled it extremely well. His only fault, would be the ending. In which you see the Twin Towers in the background, it felt like we was trying to get tears out of the audience for the sake of it. Yes we remember they were once there, they're not there now. Even if they were still standing in it's time period, it felt out of place.
The films faults are few, but the are faults that effect the film nonetheless. The Twin Towers, as I mentioned and the sex scene at the end. To me it felt like a Gatorade commercial, with Bana's sweat flying all over the place. You knew that Spielberg was going to inter-cut this scene with the massacre of the hostages and it doesn't fit too well. Running fifteen some odd minutes short of three hours, Munich does drag in some scenes, but others are so intense, that it makes up for it.
The film is controversial and will challenge you to think if what they did was justified. You can make your own judgement on that, but we see the horrors that plague Bana after his mission was "over". Trying to cope with his ordinary life with his family, looking over his soldier for somebody that may have a target on him. Paraniod and Depressed is how he feels after his actions, not being able to sleep, always looking out his window. Whether you can connect with it's characters or not, you have to give sympathy for the hardships that he had to endure, and will endure.
In Munich we get a glimpse of what Bond will look like in the upcoming Casino Royale. As Spielberg gives Craig a silenced handgun, it screams bond and was humorous to see. You may not cry at this film, but you will be changed in some way. It's intensity and message is conveyed clearly and will affect those we see this film. It's nice to see Spielberg is back at what we does best, and not seeing him and Cruise blow crap up.
8.5/10