This is not a true story... - 7/10

by Mohamad Khatib

   “Prejudice is the child of ignorance”- William Hazlitt. A self-explanatory quote and a perfect fit for the topic of the recent series of movie bans occurring in our dear, beloved country of Lebanon, known for its history, culture, tourism, education, and…… yes you guessed right, ART. Do we as Lebanese still remember what art is? Well no I will not define the word; I will simply ask you to Google it. “Beirut” was another addition to the ban trend we have been witnessing lately, recalling the ban of “The Post “ directed by the JEW, (ooooooooooo) … hehe, Steven Spielberg, and the religiously demeaning as a lot presumed, “The Nun”, among other films.

  “Beirut” revolves around an ex U.S. diplomat asked to negotiate his best friend’s rescue in a civil war-torn, 1982 Beirut. So in essence we have a fictionalized account of a hostage situation, starring Palestine, USA, and Israel with the Lebanese 1982 civil war simply serving as a backdrop. Palestine, USA, and Israel only, Lebanon, its government and people take no part whatsoever in the plot development and we never see any Lebanese character throughout the whole movie. All Beirut plays is the role of war and its logical images of destruction, explosions, armed militia, and divisive borders; images that in basic comprehension and knowledge of Lebanese history reflected what was going in Beirut in 1982. I admit these images are rather exaggerated by the extensive and overuse of exterior shots of destroyed buildings, graffiti walls, militia borders, etc… but they serve well the fictional story, and let me stress the word fictional, as not true, not real, of the antagonist Skyles (Jon Hamm) trying to save his best friend Cal (Mark Pellegrino). The only insult that struck me as it does with almost every American movie having an Arab country as part of the story is that they always have to put scenes of CAMELS, I was born in Beirut in 1975, which puts me at the age of 7 years old in 1982, and I lived my whole life there until 2013, and never have I ever seen camels in Beirut city.

   Mmmm, just felt like I am writing a political article not a review of a work of ART. Written by Director, Producer, and Writer Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Legacy, Rogue One: A Stars Wars Story, State of Play), we have a tight drama-packed script with thrills and suspense all the way through, executed with a splash of action by Brad Anderson (The Machinist, The Bourne Legacy, The Call) showing his dynamic and edge -of-your seat directorial chops. The drama is held well by the strong cast of esteemed actors the likes of Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Mark Pellegrino (13 Reasons Why), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) and exceptional performances by Chia Whigham (Kong: Skull Island) and Dean Norris (Under the Dome).

  Personally, I enjoyed the movie and I highly recommend it for its engaging premise, suspense, and super-edged drama. Never mind where the story is taking place, watch it for what it is and not for what it is not, and on this note allow me to end this review with another adequate quote by an unknown: “ Prejudice cannot see the things that are because it is always looking for things that aren’t”.

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