Sterling Cast Authentically Recreates Riveting and Intense ‘September 5’

Sterling Cast Authentically Recreates Riveting and Intense ‘September 5’

By Lynn Venhaus

“They’re all gone.”

ABC Broadcaster Jim McKay looked into the camera and gave us the horrifying news live from the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The tragic outcome was a gut-punch, for the news a short time earlier had been hopeful. That sickening feeling is authentically duplicated in “September 5,” an intense and riveting film that has meticulously recreated the network’s control room perspective.

As gunfire rang out in the Olympic Village early morning, the ABC Sports crew was thrust into action covering the breaking news as the world’s eyes and ears.

As TV executive Roone Arledge, Peter Sarsgaard leads an exceptional workmanlike ensemble, including John Magaro as producer Geoff Mason, Ben Chaplin as Marv Bader, vice president of ABC Olympics operations, and Leonie Benesch as Marianne Gebhardt, a German translator who is called on to play a bigger role.

Eight members of the Black September militant group scaled a fence, broke into Israeli athletes’ quarters, killed wrestling coach Moshe Weinberg and weightlifter Yossef Romano, and then took nine hostages.

Black September, an affiliate of the Palestine Liberation Organization, demanded the release of 236 prisoners: 234 in Israel and the two leaders of the West German Baader-Meinhof terrorist group.

No one anticipated such an event, nor had anything like this ever happened previously. It was the 10th day of competition, the first Olympics hosted in Germany since the controversial 1936 Berlin games presided over by Adolf Hitler.

The hostage mission failed. About 20 hours after it began, five of the hostage-takers would be dead, along with 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team and a West German policeman.

In retrospect, it is a moment that forever changed media coverage, an impact felt today. It was the first time an act of terror was live on television. Chilling images from that period still burn bright – especially the terrorist in a ski-mask on the balcony.

With its ‘you are there’ point of view, the tension is palpable in this 95-minute masterly constructed film as news and directions shift. Decisions are made in split-second time, and the staff is trying to be responsible while the clock is ticking, rumors swirl, and 900 million people are glued to television screens.

These are sports guys, not experienced journalists, and you see them adapt, with the added concerns of not sensationalizing an already fraught situation and just trying to maintain coverage just staying on the air.

 Swiss director Tim Fehlbaum and his crew have seamlessly blended archival footage with the routines of a darkened media center using analog equipment. At the time, the technology was state-of-the-art, and you see how resourceful they are with the now-primitive pieces.  

Technology aside, the questions facing this operation are the same journalists wrestle with today, and that is what makes this tale so fascinating. Fehlbaum co-wrote the tight script with Moritz Binder, and co-writer Alex David.

The Munich Olympics have been the focus of two previous films, Steven Spielberg’s 2005 historical drama “Munich” and the 1999 Oscar-winning documentary “One Day in September.”

And this one avoids making a political statement, preferring to focus on media, not the politics of Israeli-Palestinian relations. The film was in post-production when Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.

The control room offers a fresh perspective, and adds to the claustrophobic nature of the story, as well as the balancing act of a group of different individuals needing to set aside their personal views.

Noteworthy are Benjamin Walker as Peter Jennings, the reporter on scene, and Zinedine Soualem as French engineer named Jacques. Jim McKay is only seen in archival footage.

Production designer Julian R. Wagner’s handiwork accented the crowded space, shooting at the Olympic village, which is now a heritage site, also added to the realistic atmosphere, and the taut editing by Hansjörg Weißrich kept the story on track.

Overshadowed by the massacre, the XX Olympiad was also known for Mark Spitz earning seven gold medals for USA, a world record until 2008, and Russian gymnast Olga Korbut became a media star as she won three. Competition had stopped for 34 hours, then resumed.

Winner of the audience award at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November, “September 5” is worth seeking out for its smart, insightful capture of a significant moment in time. It’s obvious that the splendid cast was committed to ‘getting it right,’ and they convey all the dedication, compassion, confusion and drive of the people involved.

“September 5” is a 2024 historical drama directed by Tim Fehlbaum and starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, and Leonie Benisch. It is rated R for language, and the runtime is 95 minutes. It is opening in St. Louis theaters Jan. 24. Lynn’s Grade: A

YoungLiars Fracture Fairy Tales in Clever Free-Spirited ‘Wolf Kings’

YoungLiars Fracture Fairy Tales in Clever Free-Spirited ‘Wolf Kings’

By Lynn Venhaus

A movable feast of tumbling ideas and kernels of wit, “Wolf Kings” is an inspired piece of inter-disciplinary performance by indomitable producing partners Maggie Conroy and Chuck Harper of YoungLiars.

The producers say they like to set hearts and minds on fire with bold theatricality, and this one has plenty of sparks to ignite. Written and directed by Harper, it’s a one-act fusion of original thought, critical thinking and re-imagined classics that are mysterious puzzle pieces in a larger picture designed to provoke and engage.

Back after a five-year hiatus, the avant-garde troupe was known for interpreting works in a lyrical and collage-like way, comparable to the like-minded experimental theater companies SATE and ERA.

They all draw from a close-knit collective that understands their assignments in interpreting these works. These performers don’t do dull – they bend, stretch and draw from literature to make statements and explore possibilities of live theater.

In “Wolf Kings,” a lionhearted quintet of women and that one-man band Cassidy Flynn take us in multiple directions, and the enigmatic journey appears to start in a Parisian literary salon.

With clever nods to fairy tales, Victorian theatricals, and French writers, Conroy and Harper adapted text and were inspired by the writings of Angela Carter, Alphonse Daudet, Marie de Rabutin-Chantal Sevigne, and Benjamin Walker.

Maggie Conroy and Kay Ailee Bush.

The ensemble had input as well as to shaping what their weekly gathering to ‘divert, distract and delight each other’ would be. Conroy role plays, as does Ashwini Arora, Frankie Ferrari, Keating and Kay Ailee Bush, who show up as if they are visiting Gertrude Stein’s studio at 27 Rue de Fleurus.

Their similar attire suggests a performance within a performance, setting the stage for quick changes – and revolving around a red cape. Marcy Wiegert designed the costumes to reflect a cabaret quality, then transforming into characters.

Flynn arrives, insistent to crash the clandestine soiree. But this eclectic mix – one arrives carrying a hatchet – isn’t exactly a book club although they are smart and could be hobnobbing with Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, and other intellectuals and philosophers.

Balancing comedy and drama, the players are modern Bohemians who enjoy each other’s company. They demonstrate their verbal dexterity with a fun parlor game called “Compliments,” and quick-witted conversations ensue.

They play vinyl records, offering interesting needle drops for a dance party where they execute precise movements, choreographed by Mikey Thomas. Sound board operator Morgan Schindler, following Harper’s sound design, keeps us on our toes.

Eventually, they land on cloak-and-dagger storytelling, where they probe issues related to the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood,” but also 17th century folk tale versions. Converging in that proverbial cabin in the woods appears to be somehow connected to Angela Carter’s feminist short stories “The Company of Wolves,” “Wolf-Alice,” and “The Werewolf.”

Cassidy Flynn and Keating.

Who exactly is in danger and how straying from the path can be interpreted are given different options. Some characters go through metamorphosis, and there’s a sharp menacing turn as lines are blurred between those oppressed and who is oppressing in the forest. The actors display a passion and a purpose.

Lighting designer Morgan Brennan enhances the paradoxical elements.

While viewers may not understand where the playwrights are taking us, one constant is unpredictability. The group’s keen observational skills are intriguing to watch unfold through a tight-rope edge.

Because of the perceptive performers and their finely tuned interplay, the evening’s theatrical “Wolf Kings” challenges us as it entertains – taking us in bold directions as we try to find our way.

YoungLiars presents “Wolf Kings” Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. from Nov. 7 to Nov. 23 at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Drive in Clayton, Mo. For more information: www.youngliarstheatre.org.

Frankie Ferrari and Kay Ailee Bush.

Big Rigs in Big Trouble in Liam Neeson’s Latest ‘The Ice Road’

Big Rigs in Big Trouble in Liam Neeson’s Latest ‘The Ice Road’

By Alex McPherson

Director Jonathan Hensleigh’s new film, “The Ice Road,” is a solid, thoroughly predictable chunk of B-movie entertainment. 

The film centers around Mike McCann (Liam Neeson), a blue-collar mechanic and big rig truck driver struggling to hold a job while looking after his brother, Gurty (Marcus Thomas), a war veteran with aphasia who’s also a skilled technician.

After an isolated diamond mine operated by Big Business “Katka” collapses in Manitoba, Canada, Mike and Gurty are recruited by fellow driver Jim Goldenrod (Laurence Fishburne) to help deliver life-saving wellheads to a mining base near the disaster location. They’re joined by a young Indigenous woman named Tantoo (Amber Midthunder) and a corporate actuary from Katka named Varnay (Benjamin Walker).

Together, the group must race to their destination before it’s game over for the miners, contending with all-powerful Mother Nature and greedy, cutthroat humans along the way.

Viewers likely know exactly what they’re signing up for with the “The Ice Road.” Indeed, Hensleigh’s film isn’t high art, but it remains an enjoyable diversion nevertheless. With Neeson embracing his action hero starhood once again, some likable characters, and a few stressful set-pieces, the film’s storytelling missteps and shoddy CGI don’t completely negate its charms.

Neeson does what he usually does here — portraying an aging badass with a short fuse willing to go to extreme lengths to protect those he cares about. While “The Ice Road” could have given his character more time to develop, he’s still a gruffly amusing lead, who’s fun to watch when let off the chain in the final act.

His brotherly bond with Gurty, well-portrayed by Thomas, is believable and surprisingly poignant, albeit heavy-handed thanks to the clunky script. Midthunder is underutilized but leaves a positive impression as Tantoo, an activist working for Goldenrod whose brother is trapped in the mine. Fishburne is primarily relegated to providing exposition dumps, but his grizzled mug fits in well amidst the snow-covered landscape.

The side-characters, on the other hand, don’t leave much of an impact. The backstabbing corporate heads of Katka are cartoonishly one-dimensional, and the sketchy Varnay has an arc that most viewers can likely foresee before the trek is even underway. The trapped miners are easy to sympathize with, but none of them stand out individually. Sure, we hope they get rescued, but “The Ice Road” could have done more to flesh them out as real people and not deploy them mainly as a plot device to heighten tension.

When our intrepid truckers embark on their treacherous voyage, “The Ice Road” presents some distinctive obstacles for them to overcome. Principally among these challenges are, you guessed it, the unstable ice roads they traverse. Hensleigh does an effective job at cranking up suspense when the ice could break beneath their feet at any moment. Watching them navigate their surroundings and evade deadly “ice waves” yields some thrilling moments, and scenes of Mike and company extricating themselves from sticky situations using their engineering skills are compelling to watch. 

Unfortunately, when “The Ice Road” becomes a more traditional action thriller in its second half, Hensleigh doesn’t quite deliver the goods the material warrants — using some fake-looking CGI and iffy hand-to-hand combat that lacks any real “oomph” factor, held back by the film’s PG-13 rating. Familiar tropes of last-minute escapes, heroic sacrifice, and the bad guy who absolutely will not die are present in full force. While those clichés aren’t glaringly bad, the film has neither the emotional stakes nor the visceral action necessary to forge its own path.

Still, despite all this, “The Ice Road” is an adequate, though forgettable, way to spend two hours, trucking along at a steady enough clip without totally spinning out.

“The Ice Road” is a 2021 action-thriller written and directed by John Hensleigh. Starring Liam Neeson, Laurence Fishburne, Benjamin Walker, Marcus Thomas and Amber Midthunder, it is rated PG-13 for strong language and sequences of action and violence. Run time is 1 hour, 49 minutes. Alex’s Grade: C+