Munich, Elizabethtown

I think Munich is the best film I've seen this year. 2005 was a tough year because no film got to me or touched me in any way. It is a flawed film but I can overlook that for its ambition. Hey, if you're pissing off both the Palestenians and the Jews, then it can't all be bad.

Eric Bana is finally coming into his own as a leading man and he does a very good job of carrying the film. Geoffrey Rush is wonderful, as always, and Cirian Hinds gives the best performance in the film. Special kudos to Marie-Josee Croze as the "Dutch Woman". I first noticed her in "Ararat" and then "The Barbarian Invasions". Most of her films are French Canadian or French (she's from Montreal) and she's never done a Hollywood film until now. Sexy and beautiful, I'm glad to see her in a major motion picture.

The script by Tony Kushner is thoughtful and provoking. It's nice to see that he is able to write for the screen as well. I thought "Angels in America" was a little hard to follow on stage but the TV adaptation made the work more intimate and therefore better.

My one qualm is with the "climax" of the movie. It was a little cinematic stunt by Spielberg and it bordered on being a bit silly.

"Elizabethtown" was a disappointment because I'm a Cameron Crowe fan. Now I thought "Almost Famous" was brilliant but "Elizabethtown" pales in comparison. There's some things that work but some things rang false like Susan Sarandon's big speech. Orlando Bloom was fine but he just can't carry this film. Kirsten Dunst was annoying but cute. I liked the end of the film. But most of what preceded it just didn't work.