The Best Film of 2005!

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2006)

Steven Spielberg has made a master piece. For those who have never been to Israel in the opening scenes where Israeli's are watching the terrorist attack unfold in a coffee shop not much has changed except now the TV is color. There is no single star in this film, as all the actors contribute equally, and provide us with insight, and character development that is lacking in so many of today's films. I feel that this will not get many awards, and will not be a hit at any awards ceremonies. Why?? It isn't Hollywood enough which is sad.. There are no happy endings, and no major stars to cry on screen for us. What we do get is rock solid performances, fantastic locations and set designs. A cold un biased look at what happened. Spielberg used enough documentary footage, and recreations of real events to make us feel like we are really there. There is internal conflict and yet each of the team is driven by the ideology that the people responsible must die. There is a strong emphasis on "Home", and "Family". What it is and how it shapes us. For those who have never lived in the middle east or ever experienced a terrorist attack you might miss some of the depth of this film. I was born in 1972 so I never really saw, or learned about what happened in Munich. Black September was all but history by the time I was old enough to understand. The scene between the Palestinian and Avner was short but to the point. Both in the long run want the same thing. A home of their own, yet the Palestinian is where Israel was prior to 1947. Israeli's chose to go about things in a different way, however the goals where the same. As far as botched assassinations, I think they got it right. Not every job the intelligence community does goes perfectly and in fact there is some first hand comments as to the blown cover in the raid in Beirut. Anyone who travels and has children will be overwhelmed by the despair Avner feels when hearing his daughter speak for the first time over the phone. The plot is simple, and the acting is straight forward, but you will walk away thinking hard about what you consider important. I felt the assassination of the female assassin was poignant. It underscored the unflinching realism. Her death was not pretty or heroic.. None are. I can only say go see this film and be prepared to take a hard look at right and wrong.