September 5 Review – A Must See, One of the Year’s Best Films, Riveting

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Category: Film

Published on Tuesday, 05 November 2024 14:54

Written by Janet Walker

September 5, from Paramount Pictures, brings to the screen the story of the 1972 Munich Olympic Israeli hostage siege and the determination of ABC's sports to keep the story even as it travels into uncharted territory.

The film, which recently screened at AFI Film Festival, opens with Geoffrey Mason, played by John Magaro, arriving at the media facilities in Munich, Germany, in the early morning hours. An Executive producer, on his first day, he is met at the door by Marvin Bader, played by Ben Chaplin, the VP of ABC Olympic Operations, who peppers him with questions about the run of the day, and explaining he vouched for him, and not to let him down.

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Once Mason arrives in the booth, in minutes ABC coverage of the 1972 Olympics begins. With no expected issues, Roone Arledge, played by Peter Sarsgaard, the head of ABC sports, explains he is taking a nap and not to wake him.

Marianne Gebhardt, played by Leonie Benesch, who serves as the team's translator and the only person who understands German, and Jacques Lesgards, played by Zinedine Soulem, ABC Sports director of broadcast operations and engineering in Europe, are standing at the door when they hear the sound of machine gunfire coming the Olympic village.  Mason, who is on a commercial break, stops and asks if that was gunfire. Suddenly, the coverage of the Olympics takes a turn into the unknown.

The effort to "get the story" was thrilling. As the audience we are privileged to watch the play by play as if we were in the control room, with each new idea, and effort to get past the obstacles. Once the facts become verified, ABC News calls Roone and explains he is not equipped to handle the news, he is sports and needs to give up the story. Suddenly, the air is alive with electricity, as each person is focused on the task at hand. The crisis brings out the best in the team. Everyone's skills set was heightened, all creative options to bring the story to the world were considered, no idea was shot down, and even stereotypes dissolved during the tense moments.

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For many who remember longtime ABC Evening News anchor Peter Jennings, we meet him here as a young man, played by Benjamin Walker, covering the Olympics, and thrown into terrorist coverage and Jim McKay, a longtime ABC sports anchor, thrown into reporting an unfolding hostage siege. As Peter Jennings becomes one of the on the scene reporters, he, along with his cameraman are smuggled film by the only African American employee Carter Jeffrey, played by Marcus Rutherford, who, as all journalists were blocked from entry became a member of the USA Track and Field team, complete with official Team USA athlete identification and was able to act as a runner, to smuggle film in and footage out.

As this is a historical film the outcome is known, and even still as we watch it unfold in real time with the news crew in the dark, unable to verify the fate of the hostages, we are understanding the confusion and questioning, mentally, the double speak and facts. Even in these last sequences, the horror and reactions are compelling, and hypnotizing.

From the opening sequences September 5 grabs the attention with riveting performances, and an engrossing story, and holds on through every frame. September 5 is undeniably one of the best pictures of the year. These moments in history films have been known to resonate with audiences, receive critical acclaim and reverberate with award season voters.

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Director Tim Fehlbaum pulls viewers into this confined space, and we live with the team through the intensity of each moment. He gathered an ensemble of talent that effortlessly delivers gripping, and engrossing portrayals, as he weaves in the actual events of the day. Everything about this film is captivating, from the pursuit of the story to the dedication of the team, the commitment to journalistic ethics, and a belief in the strength of the team to handle the outcomes in real time, even the worst moments.

Spellbinding and powerful, September 5, opens exclusively in theaters November 29, 2024. A must see. 

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Country: U.S.

Language: English.

Runtime: 91 minutes.

Release Date: November 29, 2024.

Director: Tim Fehlbaum.

Producer: Mark Notling, John Ira Palmer, Sean Penn, Philipp Trauer, John Wildermuth, Thomas Wobke.

Executive Producer: Martin Moszkowicz, Christoph Muller.

Writer: Mortiz Binder, Alex David, Tim Fehlbaum.

Cast: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch, Zinedine Soualem, Georgina Rich, Corey Johnson, Marcus Rutehrford, Daniel Adeosun, Benjamin Walker, Ferinand Dorfler, Solomon Mouseley, Daniel Betts, Jeff Book, Leif Eisenberh, Rony Herman, Robert Porter Templeton.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation’s top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and the International Federation of Journalists.