During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes were taken hostage and murdered by Palestinian terrorists, who called themselves Black September. The Israeli government recruited a team of special agents (the type often referred to as "black ops," since they operate in the shadows). Their leader Avner (Eric Bana ("Black Hawk Down," "The Hulk") was chosen by Golda Meir and her confidantes to locate and execute those responsible for the tragedy.

The film is based on a book by George Jonas entitled "Vengeance," a true story that "reads like a novel." Like the recent release "Good Night, and Good Luck," this true story also uses archival footage as part of the film. "Munich" incorporates facts and dramatizes events in a chilling yet entertaining way. It’s somewhat ironic that Daniel Craig, the actor cast as the new James Bond, is a member of the Mossad team here with espionage on his mind but without the slick precision of the world of make believe. While these agents do hit their targets, a work of art they are not.

The hunt for the eleven terrorists takes the team through Europe, often to places thought of as vacation spots, but we are brought back to reality through brief flashbacks of the horror suffered by the hostages. This team of assassins tries to keep every hit clean, only killing the person directly involved in Black September. At one point they abort a mission when the target’s daughter returns to the apartment unexpectedly. After a time each of them begins to question their faith¾ in their belief system and in themselves.

Spielberg may hold the trump card of best picture for "Munich" that might bring along Eric Bana with a best actor nod. Without doubt "Munich" is a thinking person’s picture, that speaks to the world of today as compared to events of the past (e.g. "Schindler's List," another great film produced and directed by Spielberg). "Syriana," starring George Clooney, is another current film that explores the complexities of today’s geo-political-economic map of the world.

This is a very brave film for Speilberg to make. While it supports the right of Israel to exist as a state, it reiterates points made by other small films about the Middle East conflict ("Paradise Now," "The War Within," "The Terrorist"), which struggle to show why terrorists do what they do. As Golda Meir says in the film, "Every civilization finds it necessary to negotiate compromise with its own values."

When terrorists are killed they are always replaced, usually with someone that is more violent. "Munich" puts a personal face on the wars we wage with others and the wars within ourselves. Sex is used as a key bookend in the film. Near the beginning of the film Avner has sex with his very pregnant wife, in Israel, and later when they reunite in New York, the madness of his actions¾ in service to his country¾ overwhelm him as he clings to her in what starts as an aggressive approach to sex.

It’s been a while since you’ve seen the World Trade Center in a film about NYC and when you do near the end of the film it strikes you as to what the picture was about. It lends some perspective on how we got to 9/11, and what are the seemingly inevitable consequences unless we ¾ the people everywhere¾ implement a change in direction. A change that our politicians¾ who seek long lasting power and influence¾ will never give us.

"Munich" is a fine film, with heartfelt performances about real people who made wrenching decisions.