Falls short of perfect, but still a great film

Rating: 8/10 (12 May 2006)

I may have to see it again soon to let it sink in. As it is, it's one of the most powerful films I've seen. The horror of Munich and its aftermath are perfectly captured, as is the ethical ambiguity prevalent in the Middle East conflict. The message is not clear in either direction, and that makes it very strong. Avner's descent from proud Israeli into a paranoid murderer is very well done and incredibly realistic. The back-and-forth nature of terrorism is also captured well, reflecting the near-absence of morality that takes place. That being said, this isn't a perfect movie.
Technically, it has its faults. It's a bit long, and it does drag at the end. It also switches dramatically from an action thriller into a thoughtful drama near the end. The script is also flawed, as there are too many holes and loose ends. I suppose that could represent the cloak-and-dagger nature of the era, but perhaps a bit more could have been explained. The directing was near-flawless, but the editing could have been a bit better. The production design is perfect. The performances are solid and there isn't a weak link. Bana stands out, as he should. The music is terrific; one of Williams' best scores, I think. Whenever that haunting theme came up, you knew that something was about to happen. It's amazing that this was shot so quickly, it's so well-done.
All in all, this is a very good film about terrorism and human morality. The assassination scenes were both action-packed and dramatically striking. The plot unfolds quite well during the meat of the story, but becomes lost near the end. I know that the ending was there to present a message, but it could have been done in less time, perhaps. The dialogue is a bit hard to understand at time, but the story is never that hard to follow. Overall, a near-great film that may become great after I watch it again. For now, though, I give it a B+.