This film demands concentration - it's got quite a complex and winding plot AND some characters look very similar, so the viewer has to keep on his toes! I used subtitles too and rewound at certain points.
Some thrills and spills, with plot twists and it all shows how confusing and confused the tribal warfare in Lebanon is - with the PLO, Christians and Israelis all at each others' throats. Worth watching with the great animated movie WALTZ WITH BASHIR (which explains the history and politics) and maybe the film LEBANON too.
I enjoyed this BUT hated the way so many scenes took place in the dark. Really annoying!
Also the alcoholic has-been called in for a special mission is SUCH a cliche.
Ultimately depressing - hard to think that Beirut used to be somewhere like Cannes, or Monte Carlo, where the rich went. These places and many others were arguably better under colonialism by European powers - which is not a pc thing to say, but true, none the less. Ditto with Africa.
Around 3 stars. Would be 4 were it not for the confusing casting, the slowness at the start and the plethora of scenes shot in near-darkness!
There is something satisfyingly 'old fashioned' about this film which doesn't rely on special effects or jumpy camerawork to convey atmosphere but depends instead on dialogue and a narrative in which the tension steadily grows to its dramatic conclusion. It was much better than I expected and while not one of the greatest films of all time was very enjoyable.
After a promising prologue we jump 10 years and it takes an age to develop a plot about Jon Hamm negotiating with kidnappers in Beirut. Cue lots of shots of local colour and political machinations, all of which lose their impact by being set decades ago in 1982. Any twists can be seen coming a mile off. He’s given a tracking device in his trouser belt, but when his fellow agents follow it into a tough spot.. and the tension builds… he’s taken it off and is elsewhere. There’s an equally ridiculous plot point that plays on characters’ names. It does become more interesting as it develops but it’s woefully let down by a lack of imagination in the pacing and plotting.