FILMBRATS - REVIEWS

During the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, eleven Israeli athletes and coaches were killed by Palestinian terrorists who called themselves “Black September.” Shortly thereafter, the Israeli government hires a group of covert Mossad agents to exact revenge against the organization’s major players. They are to have no official tie to the government, nor even officially exist. But they are supposed to get the job done. Avner heads up the crack team of five specialists in their attempt to kill off those involved with the brutal attack.

Steven Spielberg once again does a masterful job in directing this gritty, dark look at this epilogue to a horrible massacre. It seems the most successful director does best these days when he allows more weight in the subject matter. This project was somewhat rushed, but it was still a lot better than both “The Terminal” and “War of the Worlds” combined. All the credit can’t be placed on Spielberg’s shoulders, however, because once again his frequent cinematographer Janusz Kaminski gives us stunning visuals and shots that truly immerse us within the environment like an embedded reporter. But even though the film looks great and flows surprisingly well, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some things to take issue with.

Although the film flows very well, I can’t help but think that a lot could have been cut out. 164 minutes can be a lot for most people to take in these short attention span days. I bet most people have trouble reading this review all the way through (although that’s probably more to do with my writing). In between hits, there’s a lot of exposition. A lot of lingering after the fact and a lot of build up and anticipation essentially makes it a great action movie for a drama. As a straight-up action film, it fails, however. I’d like to see it play out as more of an out right reconnaissance mission with spurts of meaningful exposition.

I didn’t understand Avner’s flashbacks. Throughout the film, we are brought back to the night of the slaughter through either news footage or Spielberg’s recreation. Avner usually dreams about that day as if he were there. You could probably argue that everyone knew the details and that the event was so vivid for him that it haunted his dreams. But really I wish they would have simply placed the whole “flashback” at the beginning of the film. Not only would it make chronological sense, but it would make it easier for us to root for the home team.

The ending rubbed me the wrong way. It didn’t seem like an ending, but rather just another of the long-winded exchanges before going out to find the next man on their list. That is until the last shot filled the screen. It was a heavy-handed obvious play at the emotional struggles of today as it lingered on the New York skyline with the World Trade Center painted back in. Luckily, audiences of future generations won’t make that same connection and will simply react with a “That’s it?” as opposed to a “That’s it?” and a groan.

If a few of these small factors would have been eliminated, it would have made for a much stronger film. You can blame the time crunch that Spielberg put himself through, and you’d probably be well within your rights to do so. However, that doesn’t take away that the final product presented before us is less than perfect. It’s still a great attempt that hits much more than it misses. Don’t expect another “Schindler’s List” or “Saving Private Ryan.” This one’s more like “AI.” Satisfying until the ending, with some weak spots in between.

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