Munich (****)

Not only is Munich the most adult and complex movie that Steven Spielberg's ever made, but it's also one of the best movies of this or any other year. Intelligent, absorbing, thought-provoking, and intense, this is one awesome film. Munich deals with the aftermath of the kidnap and murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics. Eric Bana heads a team of five Israelis hired by their government to seek revenge on the Palestinians in charge of organizing the Olympic attack. Munich is often very violent and disturbing, and with good reason. The characters in this film live in a world of murder, suspicion, and endless cycles of violence. Avenging the death of the Israeli athletes doesn't really solve anything. There is no justice, and violence only begets more violence. I didn't know much about the Israel-Palestine conflict going in, but I do now. Don't get me wrong though: this is by no means a civics lesson of a movie. It's a crackling thriller, directed with intensity and panache by Spielberg and it has the ability to provoke discussion. A must see.