Double Penetration

So anyway, The Pikey finally got to return to his happy place this past weekend…that’s right, I saw a movie. The Pikey is happy, the Pikey is muy muy happy! Actually, I saw two! Sunday afternoon, Sam and I finally caught the mighty Kong. I think Brad’s previous review basically sums up my thoughts on the thing as a whole, except to say that I have seen Naomi Watts in several other things (mmm…Mulholland Drive, lesbians, mmm…anyway) and indeed, she is truly an great talent. If anything though, I was a little underwhelmed by the casting overall. Talent only gets you so far in a film, and sometimes, a little shallowness needs to factor in in that it actually helps on occasion if the leads are pleasant to look at. Brody’s an excellent actor, but he’s a bit of a dork. Jack Black surprised me in his ability to pull off drama, but he’s still something of a troll. And Naomi is lovely, but she’s no Faye Raye, and she is definitely not Jessica Lange (who may have been one of the most gorgeous women in the world circa 1976 – the year of the first remake btw). But that’s a bit of a can of worms isn’t it? The ’76 remake was a shitbomb if ever there was one. The only thing it had going for it was Lange, and her mostly-neked-ness for a large portion of the middle act. This movie was too Hollywood not to have some serious Hollywood glam and star power in front of the cameras. I guess I just felt that they didn’t reconcile balancing that fine line between leads who are interesting because of how they look and fit the part physically, and leads who are interesting because of how good they perform and fit the part dramatically. I did however particularly enjoy Andy Serkis’ little role as the cook (particularly his, umm…exit). I’d forgotten (after being so used to hearing him as Gollum), how much of a deep baritone his natural speaking voice is – particularly with that thick Aussie/New Zealand accent. Anyway…

That’s not why I’m here today, today I really want to talk about what I saw Saturday…Munich. This is the second time Mr. Spielberg has had me leaving the theater thinking I’ve just witnessed something truly amazing, historic, and significant (the first being Schindler’s List). Spielberg the artist has never fared as well financially as Spielberg the childlike-storyteller, but that’s okay, overall I usually prefer the artist – those films are more satisfying dramatically. The usual players are back. Big John has crafted and eloquent and heart-wrenching score (even more so within the context of the film itself). It’s simultaneously subtle and dramatic – Jewish, but in a more modern sort of way, not rehashing anything really from Schindler’s List. Not having seen Memoirs of a Geisha, it’s hard to make a comparison as to which is better. If I were to go by soundtrack album alone, I’d lean towards Memoirs. It's likely the only thing keeping Johnny from Oscar gold this year is the horrible press Memoirs is getting. Janusz Kaminski is back behind the camera. Thankfully, only one over-exposed lens flare shows up (and in a neat sort of way, it’s actually just an accented reflection of the sunlight off of one of the main character’s glasses). Don’t get me wrong, Kaminski’s a hell of a D.P., but the glow thing got old three or four movies ago. Mike Kahn deserves at least an Oscar nom for his editing. Given the circumstances of the whirlwind shoot and postproduction period, it’s amazing he was able to make sense out of anything let alone cut the brilliant final presentation that is.

At the heart of Munich lie two points, or rather one point, and one question. The point being that evil usually begets evil, and the question is, “What is a terrorist?” It doesn't try to solve the problem, it just presents it, without reservation or judgement, and asks the viewer to decide. And it presents them in a way that is in no way pretentious, and avoids shoving them in your face or down your throat. It’s funny that the Israelis, whom in 1993 declared Spielberg a hero of the state for Schindler’s List, now just 12 years later are condemning him for being too “sympathetic” to the plight of the Palestinian terrorists. Equally funny is that the entire Arab community is lambasting him as well for “not getting the story right”! I think in most respects they're both full of shit. But appreciate for a moment if you will the irony in that hating an American movie about a shared event in recent history is something they both can finally agree upon. The film is, as is presented by the opening title card, ‘inspired’ by real events. In this case it’s a dramatization of the book Vengence, by George Jonas (which was previously dramatized about 20 years ago in the form of a bad made for T.V. two-night-er called Sword of Gideon). The book, which I’ve never read, is, according to the Arab Community (read: Black September – the terrorist cell in question) full of inaccuracies and downright lies…geez, go figure! The Israelis deny that any of it ever happened…geez…go figure! I can’t recall if Jonas was an actual member of the Mossad (sp?) involved in the retaliations, or if he just collected the information from (supposed) members involved and published it.

At any rate, as I said previously, both the Israelis and Arab community are full of it. If anything, this film severely chastises both sides for their actions. Black September kills the 11 hostages, Israel responds publicly by bombing several terrorist training camps. They respond secretly by forming assassination squads to take out key members of Black September. The terrorists respond to the Israeli response by bombing and killing Israeli diplomats and operatives. It goes back and forth. There’s no end in sight. Both sides feel justified in their actions. But…it’s taking its toll. How much retribution can a human soul handle…that’s the real question isn’t it? A review I read before seeing the film took issue with a particular scene towards the end of the film. In it, the main character Avner (Bana) is having sex with his wife whom he’s barely seen in two years. As they’re copulating, his mind keeps flashing to the final moments at the Munich Airport where the hostages were killed. Keep in mind he wasn’t there, he had no first hand knowledge of the events that took place, but being an agent of the Mossad (again, sp?), he was privy to all the reports of said events. In his mind, he sees everything go down, the botched rescue attempt, the assassination of the hostages, the killing of the terrorists. It drives him mad. He begins pounding all of his hate, his fear, his contempt, and outrage and despair into his wife…which she mistakes for passion. The reviewer essentially thought it was a silly and pointless scene, which to me says, he didn’t get it…at all! Avner’s mission is over. His team was to assassinate 11 high ranking men within Black September, one official for every Olympian. He got seven of them, losing three members of his own team in the process. Now he’s been released. But the task has consumed him. It’s all he can think of, and it’s all he is now. He had become what he was tasked to destroy, and now his life is a shell, full of paranoia, fear, rage, and regret. You’d think after all that this movie would be a bit of a downer, but at heart, it’s not really. If anything, it’s a call to those two warring communities to look at what they’ve become, and try to stop fighting and talk. I personally think it’s a futile request, but what the hell, Spielberg gave it a shot. Too bad they won't get it.

It’s kind of a shame really. Any other given year and Munich would be a shoe-in for Best Picture. For such a rush job, Spielberg really poured his heart and soul into this, much as he did for Schindler’s List. But as I recall, Schindler’s production was a tad on the quick side as well (excluding the fact that Spielberg admitted that it took almost 10 years to work up the nerve to film the thing). Maybe that’s when the man works best, under pressure. And it’s refreshing to see he didn’t pull any punches, and wasn’t afraid to leave his childlike sensibilities at home. Regrettably, this film likely won’t receive the acclaim it deserves. I’m sure Brokeback Mountain is fascinating. I think Ang Lee is a fantastic director, and Gyllenhaal is certainly developing some fine drama chops. I certainly have no qualms about its subject matter, and am looking forward to its release on DVD, but I can’t help but think it’s riding this West Coast/Hollywood PR Machine/Extreme Leftist/It’s Okay to be Gay Bandwagon. This of course means that Munich is going to be completely sodomized (pun intended) this year by the Academy – even though it’s probably one of the best films to come along in years.