OT: Munich

[alexfan90]

I just got back from the cinema, and wow. Great movie. However, some may find it inappropriate for the Holiday season. Spielberg has done a wonderful job.

BTW: did anyone see the Arri's?

[reflex]

I just got back from the cinema, and wow. Great movie. However, some may find it inappropriate for the Holiday season. Spielberg has done a wonderful job.

BTW: did anyone see the Arri's?

I'm planning to see Munich sometime next week - couldn't face the opening-night crowds today, though. The streets seem to be crawling with millions of people who haven't started their Xmas shopping yet.

[Evan Kubota]

I considered seeing it tonight but no one else wanted to go out. Watched "Der Himmel über Berlin" instead ;)

[freddiesykes]

I want to see it tomorrow but it's not really a "date" movie 8) Probably end up going to see Brokeback Mountain.

[alexfan90]

Double Post

[alexfan90]

I was surprised by how sparse the crowd was. I saw more people buying tickets to see King Kong. I guess it really was a bad time to release it. It is pretty graphic.

GO SEE IT! :!:

[Rick Palidwor]

I saw Munich tonight. Better than I expected (I am not a big Spielberg fan). I've been hunting around to get information on the film stock they used. It is set in the early 70's and looks like it was shot in the early 70's. Very grainy 70's-looking stock. Anyone know what they shot on?

Rick

[Actor]

... some may find it inappropriate for the Holiday season...

It's in limited release just so they can qualify for the Oscars.

[Evan Kubota]

Just got back from the theatre. I thought it was incredibly problematic, the structure was weak, and the scene where Eric Bana flashed back to the airport incident while having sex with his wife was laughable. Spielberg's attempt to be socially engaged has failed, IMO. Minority Report was a better film by this director.

[alexfan90]

Just got back from the theatre. I thought it was incredibly problematic, the structure was weak, and the scene where Eric Bana flashed back to the airport incident while having sex with his wife was laughable. Spielberg's attempt to be socially engaged has failed, IMO. Minority Report was a better film by this director.

I didn't care for Minority Report. Not a big scifi fan I guess. Anyways can you elaborate on the weak structure? I didn't notice anything too terrible.

[Evan Kubota]

Yes, I saw the Arri ;)

The structure was weak in the sense that it felt like a series of loosely-connected vignettes rather than a coherent, compelling narrative. As several reviewers pointed out, despite the nature of the material (Israeli hit squad sent to assassinate suspected terrorists) there was never a sense of retribution or revenge. This weakened the effectiveness of the central plot. Some of the supporting characters were well played and the acting was generally good, but the screenplay let down the whole production, IMO. I left the theatre having felt nothing, and none of the characters were in a different state than nearly three hours earlier (some were dead, but never exhibited any dynamism). It was dark outside, though.

Honestly, the movie was reasonably entertaining and generally well-made, but the hype surrounding it had made my expectations fairly high. I expected a coherent, compelling thriller that functioned at a level that could support a little of the expected Spielbergian sermonizing. Instead, I got a muddy, contradictory mess that thought it had more to say than it was capable of. Not his best work by a long shot.

[alexfan90]

You're right, the characters were not very dynamic.

[jean]

The structure was weak in the sense that it felt like a series of loosely-connected vignettes rather than a coherent, compelling narrative ... and none of the characters were in a different state than nearly three hours earlier ... Instead, I got a muddy, contradictory mess

Without actually having seen the movie, I am yet tempted to add some 0.02$ But I will watch it, if only to see my home town on the big screen.

Your remarks reveal little about the movie, but more about what you expect from a movie, or with what ingredients you'd presonally consider a movie good. I know a dude who used to rate movies by special effects. I remember us walking ot of the theatre, me completely overwhelmed, disuccing the film. He shrugged his shoulders, said he was pretty bored and just one mediocre sound effect was way to little for such a long movie.

[Evan Kubota]

"but more about what you expect from a movie, or with what ingredients you'd presonally consider a movie good."

Maybe it reveals what I expect from a *Spielberg* movie ;) I'm not a filmgoer who craves only plot or action. Tarkovsky is one of my favorite directors. However, Spielberg does not generally have the kind of depth necessary to create a film sustained by tone or mood. That clearly was not his goal with Munich, either. Whatever it was, by my standards, it didn't work well. You'll probably know what I mean after you see it - one sequence near the end was particularly offensive and glib.

[tlatosmd]

However, Spielberg does not generally have the kind of depth necessary to create a film sustained by tone or mood.

I agree. With the exception of Schindler's list, Spielberg did his best work when he wasn't directing but producing (Back to the future I-III, An American tail I...).