Steven Spielberg is one of my favourite directors and I have most of his films on DVD but Munich was a film I had been a tad nervous about. Critics had lamented the fact that the film could be too sentimental and give a pro-Israeli side without examining the reasons behind the attack itself. The film follows a team of Israeli agents who are assigned to kill the organisers of the attacks with various specialists in bomb making, cleanup etc. It uses themes of home and family to explain the motivations of both the terrorists and the team pursueing the organisers. Eric Bana turns in an excellent performance as the team leader committed to following orders but also of doing the best by his wife and baby.
One of my mates John made a point about how the pace of the film drops slightly in the last hour. I think however that it may have been deliberate considering the fact that the team start to lose their way and question the motives of their boss. I don’t way to say too much about the actual plot as a lot of the events are interconnected. Spielberg has shown he can do violence with Schindler’s List and does compromise on showing just how bloody and messy the team’s job is. Overall it’s a highly accomplished film and one that doesn’t judge but explains human motivation and notions of justice. Definitely worth a watch.
Tony’s Verdict: 9/10