Truly a "Mission: Impossible" ; Bana superb; Spielberg masterful - one of the year's best & not to be missed!

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2006)

MUNICH (2005) **** Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, Hanns Zischler, Ayelet Zorer, Geoffrey Rush, Gila Almagaor, Michael Lonsdale, Matheiu Amalric, Lynn Cohen, Marie-Josee Croze. Excellent depiction of the aftermath of the 1972 Olympics terrorist plot and ruthless murders of Israeli athletes and their managers and the plan initiated for swift retribution by a covert force of Mossad (led by a fiercely superb Bana proving to be an actor to watch) in the attempt to assassinate the 11 members of "Black September" responsible for the heinous acts. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg does a masterful job in balancing the high stakes tension not unlike Hitchcock with precision timing, pacing and editing (kudos to ace cutter Michael Kahn) and the cleverly canny and sharply smart screenplay by acclaimed playwright Tony Kushner and ace screenwriter Eric Roth (based on the account by George Jonas' "Vengeance") that does the damn near impossible: show both the conflicts within the corps group and Palestinians and the ongoing struggle of the Middle East that rings true throughout and doesn't whitewash the harsh, horrific bloodshed and the means outweighing the necessary eye-for-an-eye retaliations. One of the year's best films and most important as well.