7 days in entebbe
★★★
DIRECTOR: Jose Padilha (robocop, elite squad, bus 174)
STARRING: rosamund pike, daniel bruhl, eddie marsan, and ben schnetzer
REVIEWER: Lyall carter
In July 1976, four terrorists hijack an Air France flight from Tel-Aviv to Paris and force the flight crew to land in Entebbe, Uganda. There, the Jewish passengers are held hostage, with their safety contingent on the release of dozens of terrorists jailed in Israel, Germany and Sweden. After considerable debate, the Israeli government employs the Israeli Defense Forces to execute a daring rescue.
I'm a sucker for a political true story kind of film. I love them - the stories are riveting and you usually find yourself learning about new periods of history that you knew nothing about previously. 7 Days in Entebbe is that kind of film - you learn and you're riveted, maybe not at all times, to the screen.
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7 Days in Entebbe tells the trues story of a group of terrorists who hijack a plane and fly it to Uganda. There they hold the Jewish passengers hostage while letting other nationalities go, demanding that Palestinian prisoners are freed. The nation of Israel prepares to mount an assault to free their people.
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The story is an intriguing one yet you somehow feel that in the hands of a director more experienced with such stories that it would have been a bit more compelling. The Israeli political, behind closed doors expository is slightly dull and causes the films momentum to lag. With a bit of inventive film making these scenes could have been used to greater effect in building the pace of the film.
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The end scene, the rescue of the hostages, is where the filmmakers decide to be a bit inventive. The whole sequence is intercut with the an intense dance performed by one of the soldier's girlfriends. It interrupts the flow and the intensity of the scene with any momentum being lost as we constantly cut back to the dance recital.
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That all being said 7 Days in Entebbe is still a relatively good film with stand out performances from Rosamund Pike, Daniel Bruhl, and Eddie Marsan. ​
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Although strangely paced at times 7 Days in Entebbe is still a solid film with a good cast.
★★★
7 Days in Entebbe is available on DVD and digital from all good disc and digital retailers.
