REVIEW: Munich

Director: Steven Spielberg



Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Geoffrey Rush and a bunch more awesome actors



Story: 11 Isrealian hostages killed during the 1972 Olympics. Here's a film that takes us into the conspiracy of it all. Five men with Avner (Eric Bana) as their leader embark on a mission to search and kill the men that were involved in the hostage scheme, one at a time. Spielberg takes us through the journey, observing mainly Avner and his story about the amount of devotion and strength it took for these men to leave thier homes and the life they knew, and enter a whole new world filled with exhaustion and suffering.



Look, I need to say this: Steven Speilberg...genious. I mean the guy knows what he's doing. I went into this film not really knowing what it was entirely about, nor if it was going to be another "over-rated blockbuster". But walking out all I remember thinking was, "That'll win a few awards..."!
This movie is very much rated R. It's full of realistic violence. Don't go to watch this film thinking it's going to be "light" or "entertaining". This movie is DEEP and extremely REAL. In my opinion, a great movie is one that will suck you into it's story and make you feel as if you were experiencing it as you're watching. No fluffy music, or hip dialect, and THAT is why I enjoyed this film so much. On this subject here, I've observed that a good way for a director to get a point across (especially in serious films), is to make the audience feel strange, and you know... awkward. Here's an example, (WARNING: graphic language) In the movie Amistad, there is a scene on the ship where Spielberg doesn't hold anything back about the truth of how the African-American slaves were treated. They're stripped naked and chained together on an anchor, then thrown into the ocean. Now, after watching that, I don't remember thinking, "Oh wow, that would've been horrible." I think it was something more like, "What an ugly, sick, inhumane way to treat another Being on this Earth." Hey Steve, was THAT what you were trying to persuade? Ok, check. Same sort of thing in Munich, when it was portraying the story's truthful and hideous violence.
OK, let's talk a little bit about the actors. Eric Bana, you made Brad Pitt look like an amatuer in Troy, but I didn't think that that was hard to do quite honestly, so I wasn't really expecting much from you. However, the main character that was played here, Avner, was in my opinion THE role that was MADE for you. In fact, ALL the actors in this film was superb, and I don't use that word very often, people. Not once did I think, "Phhtb, how fake." Every emotion and action was not once over or under-done. In fact, each character was different and done so well that it was fun to watch the different dynamics. These did not seem to be easy roles, so well done all, I will not be surprised to see all those names on the Academy Award nominations in all honesty.
As far as critique, it was a little L-O-N-G. I didn't know it was going to be running over 2 and a half hours. The editing towards the end seemed to flutter, if you know what I mean. ( ex: Wait, are we going back in time here... or is this the present?) Not that this made it unenjoyable, but after awhile, when you could kind of tell that it was nearing toward the end, it just.... seemed to keep going and going and I wondered if it was EVER going to end.
Not much critique, and I know I'm leaving out SO much more credit toward the film, but I think it's obvious that I've made this movie out to be... pretty good, right? hahah phenemonal really. Watch this one in theaters with extra popcorn and a blanket because you'll need to get comfortable, but the $8.00 and the butt-cramp is worth it. Get ready for a realistic view about a whoooole other way of life.



Rating: 5/5