Good, but a missed opportunity

Rating: 7/10 (25 January 2006)

Steven Spielberg's "Munich" is a return to the director's serious nature. Although the spy thriller subject matter is closer to "Minority Report" than "Schindler's List", the tone is far more like "Saving Private Ryan" than "War of the Worlds", an interesting dichotomy that both aids and abets the film.
"Munich" is inspired by true events that occurred after 1972 Olympics tragedy in the titular city. After several Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by Palestinian terrorists, the Israeli government recruits five men to exact revenge (read: assassinate) upon those who initiated the kidnapping. The movie concentrates on the drama of quintet's actions and transformations as they undertake their collective task, viewing like a taut thriller, but featuring more development among both characters and plot.
Where "Munich" diverges from typical espionage movies is also where it predominantly excels. The reality of everything distances this film from even good genre flicks like "The Bourne Identity", not necessarily in quality but in nature, because the fully realized actions and consequences of "Munich" create an entirely different, more genuine world. The main characters, acted to a tee, all face moral dilemmas, evolving wonderfully through the quieter in-between scenes and more impressively during the more intense portions. Likewise the pace eschews the typically breakneck, impulsive speed at which most such films flow, opting instead for a deliberate approach that accelerates when necessary, making those moments all the more gripping. But the handful of pin-you-to-your-seat scenes are not enough to carry the entire film.
Steven Spielberg is a remarkable storyteller, a fact reinforced by manner in which he balances the action and character, continually bouncing between assassination attempts and dialogue-heavy development scenes. At times though this unevenness, accented by two discordant scenes, robs the film of a driving sense of urgency, leaving one with the feeling that it coulda/woulda/shoulda been better. One of those scenes, involving revenge, is shocking and discomforting, but at least effectively makes its contrasting point. The other, one of the closing scenes, is flat awkward, an ill fit both chronologically and emotionally. So out-of-place are these two moments that they nearly overshadow two hours of impressive drama.
Of course, this is nearly a three hour film, but would have fared better had it been trimmed down or at least reorganized. The decision to reenact the events of "Munich" was not a bad one, and it provides some of the movies most lasting images with classic archive footage and the reproduction of known moments from alternate angles. But intercutting these scenes over the course of the film interrupts the flow, particularly since the flashbacks are portrayed through the thoughts of a character who wasn't even there.
Despite the uniqueness, the film never kicks things to the next level. "Munich" is always interesting, but rarely captivating, thanks to some combination of factors. Maybe the minimal amount of music retards the drama. Maybe the tone of the heavy subject matter isn't conducive to Spielberg's style of story-telling. Perhaps though, more than anything, one can't help but think like the main character, wondering what the point is and where everything is going. Big and difficult questions are asked, which is commendable. These are emotions and choices that are notably similar to those felt and made in today's post-9/11 world, making Munich a still pertinent film that has the chance to be immensely powerful. But the answers provided are either non-existent or too simple, leaving the viewer feeling cold.
Bottom Line: Still good, occasionally brilliant, but ultimately less than it could have been. 7 of 10, recommended only if you're interested.