Another slain figure of the decade was Grigoris Lambrakis, who was killed six months before JFK's assassination. His murder was documented in Costa-Gavras' Z. Knowing how Costa-Gavras could depict conspiracy thanks to Missing, I was intrigued as to how he would deliver here.
Boy, did he deliver to the fullest. Like what he would do with Missing thirteen years later, Costa-Gavras blends political messages with tension to ensure a captivated audience. (Man, Hollywood needs to take some pointers from him.)
The actors are great. Jean-Louis Trintignant just radiates determination to solve what happened to Lambrakis. Yves Montand also shines in his limited screen time as Lambrakis. Oh, and Irene Papas. So much sadness in her features. (She plays Lambrakis' wife.) So little dialogue on her part, but her face says everything.
Z is pretty amazing. Films with political themes aren't something I'm overly fond of, but this is definitely one of the best in that field. If you haven't seen it yet...why haven't you? (You won't regret it.)
My Rating: *****
I'm usually weary of politically-themed movies as well, but Z is a sure winner. A+ in my book, just flawless. Love how, from the beginning, it has no reservation in calling out those responsible.
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