Munich

Saw this movie last evening. [yes, we wait for DVD’s to roll out, no luxuries of catching movies on big screen.]

It was one of the better movies of Steven Spielberg, though I see that the critics weren’t too kind with his intense personal portrayal of assassins, Israeli or otherwise]

The movie was intense, and quite engaging. Set in the 70’s to show the sequence of ‘percieved’ events that happened to the Israeli atheletes murders at Munich, during Olympics. It was an era where there weren’t any technology infused bombs, cell phones, GPS trackers and the rest of the cool jazzy things that make killing easy. These guys had to do stakeouts, run to stop their own before they hit triggers, be on the ground to set off signals to blast bomb, and such.
It is a beautiful story, one which shuffles you between patriotism, revenge, anger, sadness, family, lust and loyalty. As you are transported through the events, you realize the intensity of the arab-Israeli-palestinian conflicts, one which is happening now, and has been for a while.

Seeing what is happening now in Lebanon and the Middle East and then watching a movie that takes you back a few years, you realize that this almost seems useless. Sad, and one that will never honestly have a happy ending. I may sound like a pessimist or even naive when I say this, but that’s just the way I see it.
The movie’s dialogs are quite powerful. There is an occasional surprise line that hits you with a depth and when transposed into today’s world, it still feels right.

Eric Bana does an amazing job, of looking good [he didnt have to try too hard :-)] and portraying a simple officer who is chosen to carry out 11 executions. From teh time his fingers shake to hit his 1st victim, to when he cries on the phone on hearing his new baby say ‘dada’ to how he makes love to his wife innocent on the eve of his expedition and then when he is plagued by visions, he does an amazing job. The character evolves to a point when he just has lost it all, and he yearns to retain sanity and continue life with his family.

Of course everyone else have done a wonderful job in their portrayals.

One thing that struck me was the names. They have such fantastic unique names. No, not the actors, but the characters. Very different, almost like velvet while rolling off your tongue. Fascinating especially after being in midst of rams, subrahmanyams, seethas, lakshmis, marks, thomas, edwins, and julias….

An interesting movie, and time well spent.

ok, just one more time….

*sigh*