Munich - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

MikeWaters · 01-12-2006, 05:12 AM

Saw it tonight. I am not a huge Spielberg fan, mainly in the sense that I feel he gets too sentimental. That he succumbs to his instinct to entertain rather than to create art.

Anyway, this may be his best film.

Given the many debates on cougarboard about terrorism and our response to it, it is also timely.

That he managed to piss off both Jews and Muslims means he did something right.

SeattleUte · 01-12-2006, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Saw it tonight. I am not a huge Spielberg fan, mainly in the sense that I feel he gets too sentimental. That he succumbs to his instinct to entertain rather than to create art.

Anyway, this may be his best film.

Given the many debates on cougarboard about terrorism and our response to it, it is also timely.

That he managed to piss off both Jews and Muslims means he did something right.

Thanks. You've persuaded me to see it. I don't have a lot of free time for movies these days.

I agree with your perspective of good art. My most fervent wish is before I die to write the novel that pisses off Christians and atheists alike.

Jeff Lebowski · 01-12-2006, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Saw it tonight. I am not a huge Spielberg fan, mainly in the sense that I feel he gets too sentimental. That he succumbs to his instinct to entertain rather than to create art.

Anyway, this may be his best film.

Given the many debates on cougarboard about terrorism and our response to it, it is also timely.

That he managed to piss off both Jews and Muslims means he did something right.

Thanks for the review. Can't wait to see it.

fusnik11 · 01-12-2006, 02:55 PM

i liked it....

i was a tad bit confused at first due to the fact i didnt want to be there and i wanted to be making out with the girl i was with...

he never calls muslims, muslims, calls them arabs. he shows the worry some jews felt about what they were doing...i thought he portrayed both sides quite equally which was quite impressive.

i just wish i knew exactly how much of the story was based on real events, and how much of it was 'inspired' by real events.

RockyBalboa · 01-12-2006, 04:35 PM

I've been wanting to see it.

Eric Bana is an underated actor.

FWIW among Spielberg films I think his most underated and his 2nd best film....next to Saving Private Ryan, is Minority Report.

I was glued to my seat the entire time. It was the first time I'd ever seen, not a "WHODUNIT", but a "WHOS GONNA DO IT?".

Great flick even though the grainy way they shot was a little annoying.

fusnik11 · 01-12-2006, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

I've been wanting to see it.

Eric Bana is an underated actor.

FWIW among Spielberg films I think his most underated and his 2nd best film....next to Saving Private Ryan, is Minority Report.

I was glued to my seat the entire time. It was the first time I'd ever seen, not a "WHODUNIT", but a "WHOS GONNA DO IT?".

Great flick even though the grainy way they shot was a little annoying.

i loved minority report....

beware, munich has many a scene with that 'grainy way' they shot the film.

MikeWaters · 01-12-2006, 07:34 PM

the best compliment I can give to Spielberg about Munich is that if you watched it and didn't know who the director was, you would never suspect it was Spielberg.

il Padrino Ute · 01-13-2006, 12:42 AM

I haven't seen it, but if I do, it'll probably be after it's on pay-per-view.

I'm old enough to vaguely remember that there was something completely unrelated to sports going on during the Olympics, though I never really worried about it, as I was only 8 years old.

outlier · 01-17-2006, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

the best compliment I can give to Spielberg about Munich is that if you watched it and didn't know who the director was, you would never suspect it was Spielberg.

Amen to that -- I saw it over the weekend. I mostly liked the film, but I was ready for it to be over 30 minutes before it did (*so* *many* *endings*). And that sex scene toward the end -- uh, so were they trying to show that when the dude makes love, he's really thinking about terrorists? Each his own, I guess. (Or was he trying to plant the seeds of terrorism into her? Or discharge the terrorism in his own soul?)

Only other complaint: Bana was inconsistent with his accent, IMHO. There were a couple lines where he sounded downright American. Odd considering he's Australian (I think).

All in all, though, it surprised me to see Spielberg make a movie that felt like that one and I'll give him madd propz for doing so.

o

SeattleUte · 12-20-2006, 09:10 PM

I finally got around to seeing Munich. I loved Saving Private Ryand and Schindler's List, but I found this film to be off. It's certainly engaging enough to have kept me watching for nearly three hours. I am not above shutting off the projector if I really dislike a film. But, as I say, though better than the average fare this one seemed a little off to me compared to Spielberg's finest achievements.

After some thought I think the plot and character developement were flat. The episodic nature of the film hurt, and I didn't really see any masterful acting, but I think the real problem was in the writing.

Tribalism is a vestage of primitive peoples, and those of us lacking tribal attachments are quite sick and tired of mediating hatreds and prejudices, listening to the arrogant and chauvenistic banter, and getting caught in the cross-fire of tribalism. If the protagonist in this film was going to show any change or growth it would have to involve rising above, rejecting tribalism as a paradigm. Spielberg seems to have understood this, and the movie does try to pivot around the Israelis' growing recognition of their own vengeful violence begetting more exponential violence. But this point seems to me a little trite, and I didn't sense any material change in the protagonist's character. To the extent he exerienced exhaustion, disilusionment, anger at his employer's half truths, etc., passing sadnes over the lost time with his baby daughter, and grief or anger over a fallen comrade, these passions didn't seem deeply portrayed, and were the least that you would expect of any human not thoroughly reptilitian. His change in character was not profound or special or really artfully portrayed.

I did like "Papa," the sage in the French Chateau who purported to eschew all forms of allegience except to family.

Except for Papa, I felt tht none of the characters were very likeable, and I don't mean by this that they weren't good enough people. I like stories about flawed people. On the contrary, they weren't very interesting.

The film while better than most was was overrated and disappointing, in my view.

01-12-2006, 05:12 AM	#1
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,367	Munich Saw it tonight. I am not a huge Spielberg fan, mainly in the sense that I feel he gets too sentimental. That he succumbs to his instinct to entertain rather than to create art. Anyway, this may be his best film. Given the many debates on cougarboard about terrorism and our response to it, it is also timely. That he managed to piss off both Jews and Muslims means he did something right.

01-13-2006, 12:42 AM	#8
il Padrino Ute Board Pinhead Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In the basement of my house, Murray, Utah. Posts: 15,941	I haven't seen it, but if I do, it'll probably be after it's on pay-per-view. I'm old enough to vaguely remember that there was something completely unrelated to sports going on during the Olympics, though I never really worried about it, as I was only 8 years old. __________________ "The beauty of baseball is not having to explain it." - Chuck Shriver "This is now the joke that stupid people laugh at." - Christopher Hitchens on IQ jokes about GWB.

12-20-2006, 09:10 PM	#10
SeattleUte fairlds.org Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 10,665	I finally got around to seeing Munich. I loved Saving Private Ryand and Schindler's List, but I found this film to be off. It's certainly engaging enough to have kept me watching for nearly three hours. I am not above shutting off the projector if I really dislike a film. But, as I say, though better than the average fare this one seemed a little off to me compared to Spielberg's finest achievements. After some thought I think the plot and character developement were flat. The episodic nature of the film hurt, and I didn't really see any masterful acting, but I think the real problem was in the writing. Tribalism is a vestage of primitive peoples, and those of us lacking tribal attachments are quite sick and tired of mediating hatreds and prejudices, listening to the arrogant and chauvenistic banter, and getting caught in the cross-fire of tribalism. If the protagonist in this film was going to show any change or growth it would have to involve rising above, rejecting tribalism as a paradigm. Spielberg seems to have understood this, and the movie does try to pivot around the Israelis' growing recognition of their own vengeful violence begetting more exponential violence. But this point seems to me a little trite, and I didn't sense any material change in the protagonist's character. To the extent he exerienced exhaustion, disilusionment, anger at his employer's half truths, etc., passing sadnes over the lost time with his baby daughter, and grief or anger over a fallen comrade, these passions didn't seem deeply portrayed, and were the least that you would expect of any human not thoroughly reptilitian. His change in character was not profound or special or really artfully portrayed. I did like "Papa," the sage in the French Chateau who purported to eschew all forms of allegience except to family. Except for Papa, I felt tht none of the characters were very likeable, and I don't mean by this that they weren't good enough people. I like stories about flawed people. On the contrary, they weren't very interesting. The film while better than most was was overrated and disappointing, in my view. __________________ Interrupt all you like. We're involved in a complicated story here, and not everything is quite what it seems to be. —Paul Auster Last edited by SeattleUte; 12-20-2006 at 09:13 PM.

01-12-2006, 02:55 PM	#4
fusnik11 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,506	i liked it.... i was a tad bit confused at first due to the fact i didnt want to be there and i wanted to be making out with the girl i was with... he never calls muslims, muslims, calls them arabs. he shows the worry some jews felt about what they were doing...i thought he portrayed both sides quite equally which was quite impressive. i just wish i knew exactly how much of the story was based on real events, and how much of it was 'inspired' by real events.

01-12-2006, 04:35 PM	#5
RockyBalboa Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 7,297	I've been wanting to see it. Eric Bana is an underated actor. FWIW among Spielberg films I think his most underated and his 2nd best film....next to Saving Private Ryan, is Minority Report. I was glued to my seat the entire time. It was the first time I'd ever seen, not a "WHODUNIT", but a "WHOS GONNA DO IT?". Great flick even though the grainy way they shot was a little annoying.

01-12-2006, 07:34 PM	#7
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,367	the best compliment I can give to Spielberg about Munich is that if you watched it and didn't know who the director was, you would never suspect it was Spielberg.