Review of Beirut (2018) by Jared W — 10 Apr 2018

In a word, boring. The premise, which is spelled out in the previews, is that a man returns to Beirut to attempt to save his kidnapped friend. The problem is that the relationship between he and his friend is so understated and vague that the audience doesn't form much of an attachment to either the protagonist or the victims.

The relationship between the protagonist and the kidnapper and the protagonist was probably the most interesting part of the movie. But when the kidnapper is confronted with their former ties, and replies, "When I woke up the next morning, I was a terrorist," I was left wanting a better explanation.

Overall, it's predicitbility, lack of likable characters, lack of humor, happiness, hope, and love, left me wondering why I should care if the protagonist succeeded in his mission. I checked the time frequently throughout the movie, and surprised myself by leaping out of my seat when the credits started rolling.

Granted the other person in the theater stayed a little longer. I wondered if his name was among the credits as I reached the door to leave.