It is extremely rare that I watch a movie that seems virtually flawless, but this is one of them.  It follows the tragic events at the 1972 Summer Olympics when Israeli hostages were brutally held against their will by a terrorist group (Black September).  As a child, I remember watching the crisis unfold on TV with my siblings.  Our parents and teachers were understandably at a loss on how to best address the issue with us.  To further illustrate, for younger movie-goers, “back in the day” most adults consumed news by either reading a daily newspaper, listening to the radio, or watching the news on television.  24/7 live news coverage was a foreign concept, to be sure.  However, the whole world was glued to live television for this crisis, purportedly more than watched the first moon landing!

I loved that this movie was brief, brisk and brash!  The fan will note that there is barely a moment of “rest” during the movie such that it moves along at a “lightning fast” pace.  Moreover, soon after the opening montage, the level of intensity is heightened and, no kidding, does not let up until shortly before the ending.

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The filmmakers did an exemplary job at creating the look and feel of the control room in the ABC studio in Munich.  Painstaking details were observed to keep the film honest in terms of props, costume and set design.  Additionally, the movie-goer gets a very realistic glimpse as to how things were done behind-the-scenes.  For example, even preparing a simple caption on the screen was done by a process that, today, looks utterly prehistoric.

Now, for the acting.  Particularly for such little running time (less than 90 minutes), the film has a large ensemble cast.  In the movie, there are WAY too many noteworthy performances to mention, but I will highlight three of them here.

• First, Peter Saarsgard plays Roone Arledge, who is credited with being a pioneer in creating must-see Olympics coverage for all of us—not just sports fans. For instance, Arledge wanted to include the personal background of select athletes and other interesting backstories.  Saarsgard believably brings the late Arledge to life and conveys an unshakeable intensity that effectively serves to build suspense.  He had done a great deal of research on Arledge and it paid off.
• Second, John Marguro’s portrayal of the control room director, Geoff Mason, was simply excellent. Talking about role immersion, Maguro spent two months in control rooms to learn how to direct a sports broadcast.  Along with Saarsgard, the preparation shows, and he looks like he had produced a live broadcast for years.
• Third, a major shout-out to actress Leonie Benesch, as Marianne, a German translator who struggles with the burden of her country’s recent past and the prejudices that others in the control room may have of her. She also manages to successfully manage her way, as a lone female, through a highly chaotic control room during an incredibly emotionally charged international crisis.  Insofar as her performance is concerned, I would be delighted if she were nominated for Oscar’s Best Supporting Actress award, albeit a crowded field at this point.

Aside from telling the story of the crisis’s factual events, what is this movie about?  Depending upon who you ask, you will likely get a different reply.  First, for example, one might say that it is about journalistic morality, ethics, and integrity.  (Mason inquires, “Can we show someone being shot on live television?”  Second, another person may say that it calls into question political vs. apolitical crisis reporting.  Third, Peter Saarsgard mentioned in a cast interview (which has followed the end credits in theatres thus far) that our ability, as human beings, to effectively “dissociate” is f#$% amazing.  Paraphrasing here, we might get an alert on our smartphone and instantly check it.  Upon doing this, we might see the most horrifying image or read an egregious news item.  However, then we just continue on with our daily lives as if nothing has happened.  Fascinating, yes?!?

I was surprisingly stirred by the depiction of the late, GREAT Peter Jennings, one of the most prominent TV journalists/anchors the world had ever seen.  At the movie’s beginning, he had already earned his stripes as an expert journalist on the highly complex affairs in the Middle East.  Personally, I was VERY lucky to have had multiple, face-to-face interactions with him in the 1990s (he championed a charity in New York City which I supported).  Talk about charisma or someone who lit up a room!  Far more importantly, while he had an extraordinary ability to connect to anyone (even me!), let’s be unequivocally clear that he was a relentless, perseverant, tough, unapologetic person who did not suffer fools easily.  As shown in the film, although urged by the control room to get out of harm’s way, he stubbornly refused to move further away from the terrorist’s location.  Upon viewing the film, I thought, “OMG, that was SO like Peter!”  In sum, he was a hero in journalism, and we should all be thankful for his bravery and courage.  Not only did he advance our true understanding of the crisis for historical record, but in my opinion, this outstanding movie could never have been possible without his efforts!

Grade: A+

About The Peetimes: As this is a short, fast-paced, detailed film with a large cast, it was extremely difficult to find good Peetimes.

The second Peetime is by far the best one. The second one should only be used for emergencies.

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There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of September 5.

Plot
During the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, an American sports broadcasting team must adapt to live coverage the Israeli athletes being held hostage by a terrorist group.