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==Reception==
==Reception==
The film has received a positive critical response. On [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 88% based on 8 reviews, and an [[average rating]] of 5.7/10.<ref name=":8">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/beirut |title=''Beirut'' (2018) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/beirut |title=''Beirut'' Reviews |work=[[Metacritic]] |accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref> [[IMDb|IMDB]] provides a rating of 4.9/10 stars based on 167 user and critic reviews. <ref>{{Citation|last=Anderson|first=Brad|title=Beirut|date=2018-04-11|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4669264/|others=Rosamund Pike, Jon Hamm, Shea Whigham|accessdate=2018-03-21}}</ref>
The film has received mixed critical response. On [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 89% based on 9 reviews, and an [[average rating]] of 5.8/10.<ref name=":8">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/beirut |title=''Beirut'' (2018) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/beirut |title=''Beirut'' Reviews |work=[[Metacritic]] |accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref> [[IMDb|IMDB]] provides a rating of 4.8/10 stars based on 171 user and critic reviews. <ref>{{Citation|last=Anderson|first=Brad|title=Beirut|date=2018-04-11|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4669264/|others=Rosamund Pike, Jon Hamm, Shea Whigham|accessdate=2018-03-21}}</ref>


Dennis Harvey of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the film an "agreeably old-school form of cinematic espionage intrigue." John DeFore, writing in ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', characterized it as a "period political thriller whose motivations remain timely."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/beirut-review-1077289|title='Beirut': Film Review &#124; Sundance 2018|first=John|last=DeFore|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=23 January 2018|accessdate=19 February 2018}}</ref> The ''[[Financial Times]]''{{'}} Damon Wise writes that "Beirut proves surprisingly sensitive in its handling of the Middle East, mapping out an area of nuanced power struggle rather than a cartoon Casablanca-style warzone."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/44963628-012c-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5|title=Sundance: Beirut — a welcome shot of realpolitik|work=[[Financial Times]]|date=24 January 2018|accessdate=19 February 2018}}</ref>
Dennis Harvey of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the film an "agreeably old-school form of cinematic espionage intrigue." John DeFore, writing in ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', characterized it as a "period political thriller whose motivations remain timely."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/beirut-review-1077289|title='Beirut': Film Review &#124; Sundance 2018|first=John|last=DeFore|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=23 January 2018|accessdate=19 February 2018}}</ref> The ''[[Financial Times]]''{{'}} Damon Wise writes that "Beirut proves surprisingly sensitive in its handling of the Middle East, mapping out an area of nuanced power struggle rather than a cartoon Casablanca-style warzone."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/44963628-012c-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5|title=Sundance: Beirut — a welcome shot of realpolitik|work=[[Financial Times]]|date=24 January 2018|accessdate=19 February 2018}}</ref>
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Daniel Schindel of The Film Stage called the film a boring, xenophobic, "jaw-droppingly reductive summation” of the Lebanese Civil War. Schindel goes on to say, "If ever you needed a reminder as to how much Hollywood still really, really hates Muslims, look no further than the opening of Beirut."<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=https://thefilmstage.com/reviews/sundance-review-beirut-is-a-xenophobic-thriller-absent-of-thrills-and-nuance/|title=Sundance Review: ‘Beirut’ is a Xenophobic Thriller Absent of Thrills and Nuance|date=2018-01-24|work=The Film Stage|access-date=2018-01-25|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":8" />
Daniel Schindel of The Film Stage called the film a boring, xenophobic, "jaw-droppingly reductive summation” of the Lebanese Civil War. Schindel goes on to say, "If ever you needed a reminder as to how much Hollywood still really, really hates Muslims, look no further than the opening of Beirut."<ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=https://thefilmstage.com/reviews/sundance-review-beirut-is-a-xenophobic-thriller-absent-of-thrills-and-nuance/|title=Sundance Review: ‘Beirut’ is a Xenophobic Thriller Absent of Thrills and Nuance|date=2018-01-24|work=The Film Stage|access-date=2018-01-25|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":8" />


==Trailer criticism==
== Controversy ==
The film's trailer received criticism from [[social media]] users for dehumanizing Arabs and Muslims, having a [[White savior narrative in film|white savior narrative]], ignoring political complexities of the [[Lebanese Civil War]], and failing to show Lebanese people as fully formed characters.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/movies/beirut-trailer-jon-hamm-tony-gilroy.html|title=‘Beirut’ Trailer Was Supposed to Thrill. Instead It Offended.|last=Deb|first=Sopan|date=2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-02-01|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-trailer-for-jon-hamms-new-film-beirut-was-released_us_5a592a5de4b01ccdd48b5c1c|title=The Trailer for Jon Hamm's New Film 'Beirut' Was Released Today and It Looks Like A Stereotypical, Inaccurate Mess.|last=Chahine|first=Walaa|date=2018-01-12|website=Huffington Post|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-14}}</ref> The trailer's closing tagline of "2,000 years of revenge, vendetta, murder... welcome to Beirut" has been criticized as a confusing misrepresentation of the [[Beirut|history of Beirut]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://stepfeed.com/there-s-a-new-film-called-beirut-and-lebanese-are-calling-it-trash-5148|title=There's a new film called 'Beirut' and Lebanese are calling it 'trash'|date=2018-01-13|work=StepFeed|access-date=2018-01-14|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.the961.com/beirut-movie/|title=Dear world, don't bother watching the Beirut movie!|date=2018-01-13|work=The961|access-date=2018-01-14}}</ref>
The film was widely criticized for not featuring any Lebanese actors and for not having any scenes filmed in Lebanon.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://www.beirut.com/l/54406|title=Beirut: The Hollywood Film That Has Nothing To Do With Beirut|work=Beirut.com City Guide|access-date=2018-01-15|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/movies/beirut-trailer-jon-hamm-tony-gilroy.html|title=‘Beirut’ Trailer Was Supposed to Thrill. Instead It Offended.|last=Deb|first=Sopan|date=2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-02-01|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-trailer-for-jon-hamms-new-film-beirut-was-released_us_5a592a5de4b01ccdd48b5c1c|title=The Trailer for Jon Hamm's New Film 'Beirut' Was Released Today and It Looks Like A Stereotypical, Inaccurate Mess.|last=Chahine|first=Walaa|date=2018-01-12|website=Huffington Post|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-14}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=http://blogbaladi.com/beirut-the-movie-is-coming-out-on-april-13-trailer-doesnt-look-promising/|title=#Beirut The Movie is Coming Out on April 13, Trailer Doesn’t Look Promising|work=Blog Baladi|access-date=2018-01-14|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://stepfeed.com/there-s-a-new-film-called-beirut-and-lebanese-are-calling-it-trash-5148|title=There's a new film called 'Beirut' and Lebanese are calling it 'trash'|date=2018-01-13|work=StepFeed|access-date=2018-01-14|language=en-US}}</ref>

Sulome Anderson, daughter of non-fictional Lebanese Civil War hostage [[Terry Anderson (journalist)|Terry Anderson]], publicly criticized the film as being "extremely offensive" for careless oversimplification, glamorization of war, and dehumanization of Arabs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/SulomeAnderson/status/959448334208503809|title=What they shouldn't do is turn what happened to my father and the other hostages into another opportunity to rob Arabs of their voices. This trailer offends me on many levels, as the daughter of a hostage held in Lebanon and as a Lebanese-American. Do better, @bleeckerstfilms.|last=Anderson|first=Sulome|date=<!--7:28 AM - -->2 February 2018|website=@SulomeAnderson|accessdate=2018-02-02}}</ref>

The film's original April 13th release date has been criticized as insensitive and exploitative having been placed on the same day as the [[Bus massacre|Bus Massacre]], the event that began the Lebanese Civil War.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://stateofmind13.com/2018/01/13/hollywoods-upcoming-movie-beirut-checks-off-every-american-stereotype-about-lebanon/|title=Hollywood’s Upcoming Movie “Beirut” Checks Off Every American Stereotype About Lebanon|date=2018-01-13|work=A Separate State of Mind {{!}} A Blog by Elie Fares|access-date=2018-01-14|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Trailer criticism===
The film's trailer received criticism from [[social media]] users for dehumanizing Arabs and Muslims, having a [[White savior narrative in film|white savior narrative]], ignoring political complexities of the [[Lebanese Civil War]], and failing to show Lebanese people as fully formed characters.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":0" /> The trailer's closing tagline of "2,000 years of revenge, vendetta, murder... welcome to Beirut" has been criticized as a confusing misrepresentation of the [[Beirut|history of Beirut]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.the961.com/beirut-movie/|title=Dear world, don't bother watching the Beirut movie!|date=2018-01-13|work=The961|access-date=2018-01-14}}</ref>


The trailer was criticized by Sopan Deb in the ''[[New York Times]]''. He called it offensive, portraying a stereotypical image of [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]], [[Arabs]], and the Middle East at large. He points out that no [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]] actors are featured in the film, and cites a social media hashtag #BoycottBeirutMovie as evidence of the trailer's reception in Lebanon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/movies/beirut-trailer-jon-hamm-tony-gilroy.html|title=‘Beirut’ Trailer Was Supposed to Thrill. Instead It Offended.|last=Deb|first=Sopan|date=30 January 2018|work=[[New York Times]]|accessdate=19 February 2018}}</ref>
The trailer was criticized by Sopan Deb in the ''[[New York Times]]''. He called it offensive, portraying a stereotypical image of [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]], [[Arabs]], and the Middle East at large. He points out that no [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]] actors are featured in the film, and cites a social media hashtag #BoycottBeirutMovie as evidence of the trailer's reception in Lebanon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/movies/beirut-trailer-jon-hamm-tony-gilroy.html|title=‘Beirut’ Trailer Was Supposed to Thrill. Instead It Offended.|last=Deb|first=Sopan|date=30 January 2018|work=[[New York Times]]|accessdate=19 February 2018}}</ref>

Revision as of 01:47, 31 March 2018

Beirut
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBrad Anderson
Written byTony Gilroy
StarringJon Hamm
Rosamund Pike
Dean Norris
Shea Whigham
Larry Pine
Mark Pellegrino
CinematographyBjörn Charpentier
Music byJohn Debney
Distributed byBleecker Street (US)
Release dates
  • January 22, 2018 (2018-01-22) (Sundance)
  • April 11, 2018 (2018-04-11) (United States)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Beirut (formerly titled High Wire Act) is a 2018 fictional political thriller film directed by Brad Anderson. It premiered at the 2018 Sundance Festival.

Plot

In 1980s Beirut, Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm), a former U.S. diplomat returns to service to save a colleague from the group responsible for the death of his family.

Cast

Production

In May 2015, Deadline reported that Jon Hamm had signed on to star.[1] In July 2015, Rosamund Pike joined the cast.[2] In May 2016, ShivHans Pictures came on board to produce and finance the film. Dean Norris, Shea Whigham, Larry Pine, and Mark Pellegrino joined the cast.[3] Filming began in Tangier, Morocco in June 2016.[3][4] Bleecker Street acquired the U.S. distribution rights in July 2017.[5] It premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.[6]

Reception

The film has received mixed critical response. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 89% based on 9 reviews, and an average rating of 5.8/10.[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8] IMDB provides a rating of 4.8/10 stars based on 171 user and critic reviews. [9]

Dennis Harvey of Variety called the film an "agreeably old-school form of cinematic espionage intrigue." John DeFore, writing in The Hollywood Reporter, characterized it as a "period political thriller whose motivations remain timely."[10] The Financial Times' Damon Wise writes that "Beirut proves surprisingly sensitive in its handling of the Middle East, mapping out an area of nuanced power struggle rather than a cartoon Casablanca-style warzone."[11]

Daniel Schindel of The Film Stage called the film a boring, xenophobic, "jaw-droppingly reductive summation” of the Lebanese Civil War. Schindel goes on to say, "If ever you needed a reminder as to how much Hollywood still really, really hates Muslims, look no further than the opening of Beirut."[12][7]

Controversy

The film was widely criticized for not featuring any Lebanese actors and for not having any scenes filmed in Lebanon.[13][14][15][16][17]

Sulome Anderson, daughter of non-fictional Lebanese Civil War hostage Terry Anderson, publicly criticized the film as being "extremely offensive" for careless oversimplification, glamorization of war, and dehumanization of Arabs.[18]

The film's original April 13th release date has been criticized as insensitive and exploitative having been placed on the same day as the Bus Massacre, the event that began the Lebanese Civil War.[17][19]

Trailer criticism

The film's trailer received criticism from social media users for dehumanizing Arabs and Muslims, having a white savior narrative, ignoring political complexities of the Lebanese Civil War, and failing to show Lebanese people as fully formed characters.[14][15] The trailer's closing tagline of "2,000 years of revenge, vendetta, murder... welcome to Beirut" has been criticized as a confusing misrepresentation of the history of Beirut.[17][20]

The trailer was criticized by Sopan Deb in the New York Times. He called it offensive, portraying a stereotypical image of Lebanese, Arabs, and the Middle East at large. He points out that no Lebanese actors are featured in the film, and cites a social media hashtag #BoycottBeirutMovie as evidence of the trailer's reception in Lebanon.[21]

Walaa Chahine, writing for the Huffington Post, echoed similar criticisms, arguing that the trailer "seems to follow the same rhetoric so many other Middle East thrillers like to portray - Arabs are barbaric and uncivilized, and their countries are a mess".[22]

References

  1. ^ Busch, Anita (May 6, 2015). "Jon Hamm Joins Tony Gilroy's 'High Wire Act'". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  2. ^ Jaafar, Ali (July 20, 2015). "Rosamund Pike Joining Jon Hamm In Brad Anderson's 'High Wire Act'". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Hipes, Patrick (May 4, 2016). "Jon Hamm-Rosamund Pike Pic 'High Wire Act' Moves Forward With ShivHans Financing & Cast – Cannes". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  4. ^ "Playing this guy. Political thriller set in 1982 Beirut". Twitter.
  5. ^ "Bleecker Street Acquires High Wire Act". Bleecker Street. July 27, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ Debruge, Peter (2017-11-29). "Sundance Film Festival Unveils Full 2018 Features Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  7. ^ a b "Beirut (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  8. ^ "Beirut Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  9. ^ Anderson, Brad (2018-04-11), Beirut, Rosamund Pike, Jon Hamm, Shea Whigham, retrieved 2018-03-21
  10. ^ DeFore, John (23 January 2018). "'Beirut': Film Review | Sundance 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Sundance: Beirut — a welcome shot of realpolitik". Financial Times. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Sundance Review: 'Beirut' is a Xenophobic Thriller Absent of Thrills and Nuance". The Film Stage. 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  13. ^ "Beirut: The Hollywood Film That Has Nothing To Do With Beirut". Beirut.com City Guide. Retrieved 2018-01-15.
  14. ^ a b Deb, Sopan (2018). "'Beirut' Trailer Was Supposed to Thrill. Instead It Offended". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-02-01.
  15. ^ a b Chahine, Walaa (2018-01-12). "The Trailer for Jon Hamm's New Film 'Beirut' Was Released Today and It Looks Like A Stereotypical, Inaccurate Mess". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  16. ^ "#Beirut The Movie is Coming Out on April 13, Trailer Doesn't Look Promising". Blog Baladi. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  17. ^ a b c "There's a new film called 'Beirut' and Lebanese are calling it 'trash'". StepFeed. 2018-01-13. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  18. ^ Anderson, Sulome (2 February 2018). "What they shouldn't do is turn what happened to my father and the other hostages into another opportunity to rob Arabs of their voices. This trailer offends me on many levels, as the daughter of a hostage held in Lebanon and as a Lebanese-American. Do better, @bleeckerstfilms". @SulomeAnderson. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  19. ^ "Hollywood's Upcoming Movie "Beirut" Checks Off Every American Stereotype About Lebanon". A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares. 2018-01-13. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  20. ^ "Dear world, don't bother watching the Beirut movie!". The961. 2018-01-13. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  21. ^ Deb, Sopan (30 January 2018). "'Beirut' Trailer Was Supposed to Thrill. Instead It Offended". New York Times. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  22. ^ Chahine, Walaa (12 January 2018). "The Trailer for Jon Hamm's New Film 'Beirut' Was Released Today and It Looks Like A Stereotypical, Inaccurate Mess". Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 February 2018.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beirut_(film)&oldid=833354520"