Z

The 1960s were practically synonymous with politics. And nothing is more synonymous with 1960s politics than assassinations. JFK, RFK, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X...their deaths defined a decade.

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: *****

Missing

Costa-Gavras' Missing raises many questions on politics, war and society. Can any of the three be trusted?

To Ed (Jack Lemmon) and Beth Horman (Sissy Spacek), their views on the Chilean government constantly change throughout as they look for his son and her husband Charles (John Shea). What they thought was a reliable government turns into uncertainty towards that so-called reliability. Even the U.S. government's reliability comes into question.

Throughout Missing, the violence within Chile gets dangerously close to everyone. Gunshots fill the air. Bodies lie in the streets. Panic rises within everyone. It's a dog-eat-dog world in Chile, and every day is a fight for life.

As they search for Charles, Ed and Beth have to come to terms with their own personal differences. Beth supports Charles' job as a journalist; Ed believes that's what got him arrested. Despite their differing opinions, they agree they won't leave Chile without Charles.

The physical turmoil of Chile mirrors the emotional turmoil of Ed and Beth, devastated and in ruins. Seeing the country's conditions makes a question Ed asks at one point all the more resonant: "What kind of world is this?"

My Rating: *****