BEIRUT
A U.S. diplomat (Jon Hamm) flees Lebanon in 1972 after a tragic incident at his home. Ten years later, he is called back to war-torn Beirut by a CIA operative (Rosamund Pike) to negotiate for the life of a friend he left behind.
Director:
Brad Anderson
Cast:
Rosamund Pike, Jon Hamm, Dean Norris
Screenplay:
Tony Gilroy
Screening Date:
Apr 07, 2018
Studio:
Bleecker Street
Running Time:
109 Minutes
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42.1% | 30.0% | 26.3% | 2.5% | 0.0% |
“Tight film. Great stock footage of Beirut. Hard to believe that this was Tanager, Morocco. I spent a lot of time in Morocco but it didn’t look like this. I loved the stock photos of times before in Lebanon when you could ski and life was luxurious. Great contrast before we came in and totally destroyed the city.”
“As good as the production values were in this film and well directed as it was and as good as Jon Hamm was and easy on the eyes, at many times I couldn’t understand what the characters were saying. The accents were so thick which made this film so hard to follow. Ultimately it felt like too much work.”
“Wow! This was a gripping, engaging, challenging film. Terrific performances and a beautiful convincing production. In the 1972 embassy scene early in the film, Jon Hamm lays out the unregulated boarding house metaphor, and he describes volatile and delicate balance, but boy when it goes south, the card house really tumbles.”
“Who is who is often confusing.”
“Tightest story of any film I’ve seen since THE ACCOUNTANT. Very clever, with a post-idealist perspective on the middle east – as we said in the discussion, EVERYONE is corrupt.”
“One of the best scripts of any movie since Molly’s Game. Had no idea where it was going from scene to scene. Totally unpredictable, and I can predict a lot.”
“I still have a lot of unanswered questions, but I might just go back and see it again, it’s that good.”
“John Hamm is a fine actor, but… Character stories are depictions of great change, and he never seems that down in the beginning, never dysfunctionally drunk or depressed enough to make his back-to-Beirut transition more effective. Still it’s a terrific story, and Rosamund is a solid pro.”
“An edge-of-your-seat action packed movie. The opening dialogue by Mason says it all about the Middle East and what happened in Lebanon. Gives a lot of insight on how to negotiate. Everyone wants something and the question is what what they will/can they do to get it. That the Israelis killed the brother was predictable and leaving Karim alive makes for the next terrorist. Well made! Right on Bleecker Street.”
“Could have done without that final flag-waving shot.”
“Clearly Gilroy is a script master, and this may be his best film so far. Tight, perfect mosaic of a story, without Bourne’s superhero gimmick.”
“A decent spy story but the relationships were unclear. Obviously there is much complexity in these matters, but who were friends? Why?”
“A great movie. Haven’t been this much on the edge of my seat at an MEA movie – in quite a while. Thank you!!!!”
“High production values make this spy thriller a good choice for fans of that genre. But better heroes have deeper flaws - this lead was a little 2-dimensional. And the American part of the cast was introduced too quickly - took some time to figure who was who (names, who they actually worked for, etc) and much of their personal and professional relationships and rivalries with each other went unexplained. The actual circumstances in Lebanon were complicated. And the movie paints the American role there as benign, which was quite off-putting.”
“A great, old-fashioned political thriller in terms of style, but definitely with a 2018 sensibility as there is very thin line between the good guys and the bad guys, heroes and villains.”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
Watch this clip about how writer/producer TONY GILROY reveals to Kevin Smith that BEIRUT was sprung from political conversations he had with another producer on the set of The Cutting Edge (1992).
http://www.imdb.com/videoplayer/vi316979225
Take a look at this timeline of important events from the Lebanese Civil War, which was happening while MASON SKILES is brought back to Beirut in the film.
https://www.thoughtco.com/timeline-of-the-lebanese-civil-war-2353188
Read about what JON HAMM says about why BEIRUT was filmed in Morocco.
https://www.durhamregion.com/whatson-story/8381726-jon-hamm-on-why-beiru...
