20th Anniversary TLDR: Munich (2005)
I think anyone is capable of anything.
Plot: During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack.
Direction: We all know that Steven Spielberg is one of our greatest living filmmakers, but his popular reputation is largely built on blockbusters: movies with sharks, dinosaurs, aliens, and crystal skulls. Some of his "prestige" films have lasting legacies, like Schindler's List or The Color Purple, while others have been more or less forgotten, like Amistad or War House or Munich.
Screenplay: This is written by both Eric Roth and Tony Kushner. Other than this, I've seen seven Roth films (Suspect, Forrest Gump, The Insider, The Curious Cage of Benjamin Button, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, A Star Is Born, and Dune) and odds are I don't feel the same way about his work that you do. Kushner became a go-to Spielberg guy after this, most notably collaborating on the screenplay for Lincoln.
Performances: Something about typing out the phrase "a post-Hulk Eric Bana and a pre-Bond Daniel Craig" is really funny to me. Movies are weird.
Cinematography: Can you believe Janusz Kamiński also shot The Judge?
Music: Please rush to watch the new documentary Music by John Williams, which is an excellent overview and biography of one of cinema's most important artists. There's an interesting bit about his Munich score, but I won't pass it along. Instead, I'm encouraging you to hit play yourself.
Best Line: "We are supposed to be righteous. That's a beautiful thing. And we're losing it. If I lose that, that's everything. That's my soul."
Imaginary Accolade: Most Controversial Spielberg Movie - Especially Now
Everything is too long! Is it too long? 164 minutes...
Recommendation: Watch the documentary One Day in September, then watch the new film September 5, then watch this. I did it, it works!
Rating: At least you'll never guess how this ends.
Credit: Plot synopsis from Letterboxd via TMDb.