Emotionally Exhausting

Rating: 8/10 (9 February 2006)

Alright, this review is written a little more than 2 weeks after I saw it. Why is that? Well, I needed some time to digest the movie and decide whether I liked it or loved it. A side trip to the actual city of Munich didn't hurt either .
With that said, I believe the movie was a very well made, well thought out, and well acted piece of work. Steve Spielberg shows us again that he is not only great at action/sci-fi spectacle movies like "War of the Worlds" (yes, I liked that movie, so there! ) but he's also a genius at movies that explore very touchy issues like in "Munich". The only thing is, emotionally I wasn't as engaged as I should have been with this movie. That is the reason why I can only give "Munich" an 8 instead of a 9 or 10 like many other critics out there. I guess that's what differentiates one movie critic from another. They might all agree that a movie is very well made, but how much emotional impact they get from the movie will differ, and thus the varying ratings for the same movie.
OK, enough babbling. Let's get on to the review! At the heart of the movie is a semi-fictional story about the details of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre of the Israeli athletes by the Palestinian terrorists, and the endless cycle of revenge and retribution that follows. All credit must be given to Spielberg for presenting as balanced of a viewpoint as one can of this messy situation, for he does not favor either side of the conflict, and allows the audiences to make the decision for themselves.
What is most interesting and powerful in the movie is the story of one man (played by Eric Bana) who has to lead a small group of assassins to exact revenge on those who planned the massacre, and all the emotional turmoil he and his team have to experience throughout their mission. Eric Bana played the lead character's part with masterful skill and subtlety. He is at first happy for revenge, but as the mission goes on, his beliefs are challenged and the killings start to become a burden on his soul. It is watching this slow transformation and development of Bana's character that fascinates me the most about the movie. I believe Bana's performance should warrant an Oscar nomination, but in a year where there are so many great performances by a male lead, it'll be a toss up.
As usual, the cinematography and action of the movie were very powerful and realistic, and I expect nothing less from Spielberg. The only problem I have with the movie is near the end, when there seemed to be multiple endings, one after another, similar to "Memoirs of a Geisha" or "Return of the King." While I understand the need for these endings to provide closure to the story, I found myself wondering "when will this movie end?" a couple times watching it. It's a very small gripe for such a good movie, but I just wanted to point it out.
In conclusion, "Munich" was a very well directed and acted film with a LOT of poignant themes involved. Even with my slight emotional detachment from the movie, I still strongly suggest you to see it. It'll definitely make you think and leave you emotionally exhausted.