Don't Make Him Angry, You Wouldn't Like Him When He's Angry

When a nation needs to exert itself in the face of international terrorism, who does it turn to? Why, who else but The Hulk? Eric Bana stars in "Munich", Steven Spielberg's most mature film-to-date, a story loosely based on history about Israel's response to the killing of 11 Israeli athletes by Palestinians during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Bana plays a former bodyguard of Prime Minister Golda Meir and the son of a national hero, who is asked to lead a team in hunting down and killing 11 Palestinians allegedly involved in the planning of the Munich event. What sometimes seems like a snuff film ultimately tries to ask the question of when is retaliation acceptable? Is it ever? Does it reconcile the actions that it sought to avenge in the first place? Moral ambiguity is at the core of Bana's internal conflict, as he delves deeper and deeper into this revenge scheme. Is this plan about honoring the fallen athletes? About Israel saving face in the international community? Just a facade for further Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed? The questions are posed, and Spielberg leaves it up to the audience to draw their own conclusions. Stylistically Spielbergian, the film tries valiantly but comes up short in addressing the current state of the world, where moral ambiguity abounds at every turn, and the government seems to have its own set of rules.



For a better example, go rent "Three Kings", the David O. Russell film starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube. Set in 1991 immediately at the close of the Persian Gulf War, the movie provides a humorous, stylish, and ultimately emotional look at the United States' involvement in the Middle East. Celebrating their liberation of Kuwait, US troops celebrate a moral imperative while mopping up the remaining duties of arresting Iraqi soldiers. However, Clooney, Wahlberg, and Cube, along with the dim-witted Spike Jonze and through the use of an Iraqi ass-map, plot to steal a bit of Kuwaiti gold, only to find themselves embroiled in a conflict not reported by Wolf Blitzer on CNN. Iraqi rebels, opposing the rule of Saddam Hussein, though verbally supported by President George H.W. Bush, find that those allegiances are hollow, indeed. Liberation, freedom, etc. are secondary to US interests in oil, and the rude awakening for such idealists as Wahlberg and Jonze creates a new sense of necessity that involves helping Iraqi rebels at the risk of court-martial or death. Watch this movie, whether it be for the first time or as a repeat viewing, and you'll see how eerie the connections are with today's news, what with the US's penchant for meddling without understanding the true ramifications of its actions within the global community. What can I say, like father like son.

"And it burns, burns, burns..."

Like a Quentin Tarantino flick, multiple plot lines have converged to create this post (as well as the non-VD-related title above).

1. On Monday night, my parents and I spent some quality time having dinner together and watching "Walk The Line", the biopic about Johnny Cash.
2. This morning, I tried to turn on my 2.5-year-old iPod only to have it crap out on me.
3. What was I trying to add to the iPod? The soundtrack to "Walk The Line".

Not being able to listen to 15GB of music burns, burns, burns ... now back to the movie:

It was a fantastic film, even better than Ray, which dragged on a bit too long and attempted to cover Charles' life too haphazardly at the end. However, "Walk The Line" focuses mostly on a younger Johnny Cash, and his volatile relationship with his future wife June Carter. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon turn in excellent performances of the country sensations, and extra kudos go to Reese for stealing the show, so to speak. Her June Carter is filled with such sass, and her singing is incredible, far better than the singing of the actual June herself (though June always did claim that she wasn't much of a singer). Which brings me to the most impressive thing about the film: the actors sang their own parts. The renditions are not meant to mimic the originals, but Phoenix, Witherspoon, and a slew of others (playing Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and Waylon Jennings) show off their respective pipes in covering some great tunes. The showstoppers end up being some of the duets between Phoenix and Witherspoon, like "It Ain't Me Babe" and "Jackson", as well as Cash's "Cocaine Blues" during his historic performance at Folsom County Prison in 1968. And I'd just like to reiterate that Reese Witherspoon really blew me away. I've sorta hated her as an actress, since Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde, but I've changed my tune now after seeing this film. Ryan Phillippe is an undeserving bastard.








Now the ultimate question: Video iPod, iPod Mini, or Nano?