'September 5' is a Dry Look at a Terrifying Event.
Movies about news coverage can feel as generic as the coverage itself. September 5 is an interesting concept that could have been more than what it is. The film takes place during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. It begins with an uplifting introduction that informs the world why the Munich Olympics is a special event that represents the best of humanity. As we know, the worst in humanity came out that night. September 5, like many newsroom movies, is missing an element of heart that it so desperately needs. Seeing a collection of Producers and Journalists huddled around the newsroom, trying to report things before anyone else can, is a tired angle that doesn't provide many thrills. That's especially true when we know what's going to happen in the end.
September 5 tries to come across like a semi-Paul Greengrass film (The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93, Bloody Sunday). The camera is mostly handheld, using a quasi-documentary style to make you feel like you're in on the action. The only thing is that the movie lacks the realism Greengrass is able to get out of his films. Take United 93, for instance. We're so invested in that film's story because more than half of it takes place in one of the plains that terrorists hijacked during 9/11. If United 93 only took place in the control tower, the film would be pretty dull.
That's the main problem with September 5. It's a story about an international tragedy that feels disconnected. The movie follows a team of broadcasters working for ABC covering the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. A group of Palestinian terrorists known as Black September invaded the Olympic Village, taking hostages and executing two athletes, along with seventeen total casualties. Once Black September took over the Village, ABC rushed to get the story as everything in the newsroom burst into hell. That sounds like a thrilling concept, yet its delivery is so dry, so cliche, that it made me sleepy.
The film's main characters aren't particularly alluring. They lack the charisma that Dustin Hoffman or Robert Redford had in All the President's Men. The only standout character is Marianne Gebhardt (Leonie Benesch), who has personal stakes in the massacre due to her German heritage. We get just enough information for us to care about her character. Plus, she delivers the most believable performance of the film. I wish she were the protagonist. Instead, we're stuck with Geoffrey Maso (John Magaro). He's a character whom I entered the film knowing nothing about, then leaving the film still knowing anything about him. I hate to be that guy who says something nasty, but here it goes. I don't think John Magaro is a great actor. He's average at best. September 5 was his opportunity to shine as the protagonist. Unfortunately, John's performance has less weight to it than a beanie baby.
In every movie John Magaro appears in, he's just some guy who's boring to watch. He didn't stand out much in Past Lives or the terribly dull Showing Up. In September 5, Magaro is supposed to be stressed. Yet there's no feeling of urgency coming from him. He sounds like he's on drowsy medication. I understand this film is more about the event than it is about the people involved in the newsroom. What I don't understand is why the characters are so dry. You could easily swap out roles between Peter Sarsgaard with Ben Chaplin, and I wouldn't even notice. The characters don't need an elaborate backstory. All that I'm asking for is some discernable traits. That way, I could give somewhat of a damn about these characters.
As September 5 reaches its conclusion, I'm supposed to feel devastated. So why did I feel nothing? Probably because this "different angle" on the 1972 Olympic slaughter is not that different after all. This type of story has been done better by far superior directors. September 5 is a movie about reporters covering a story that's a tired mix of Spotlight with a depressing version of Broadcast News. Nothing new or unique is learned. I left the theater feeling emptier than its main characters. The worst part is there's a scene where one of the reporters is taken hostage off-screen. Why not see things from their point of view? Wouldn't it be exciting if you saw the hostage's POV cutting between that and the newsroom? What a wasted opportunity to raise the steaks.
Director Tim Fehlbaum could have taken some notes from Steven Spielberg. The man made The Post and Munich. Both films succeed in different ways in which this movie failed. He'd be able to tell Fehlbaum where to take the story. There's no real clear vision, nor is there anything to emotionally latch onto other than being reminded of a horrific event. If this is really a potential best-picture contender, then I'm not impressed.
September 5 screened itself as part of the Chicago International Film Festival and will be released wide in theaters on November 7, 2024
