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Reviews
The Cult of the Suicide Bomber (2005)
Brilliant investigation
Cult of the Suicide Bomber stands as one of the best documentaries of the last 10 years along with the Power of Nightmares and Bowling for Columbine. The number one thing that makes this great is the access: you get to hear in their own words the thoughts of the failed suicide bombers as well as the families and recruiters of those that were successful. Baer has a laconic, Philip Marlowe delivery and you can tell that this is a subject he his passionate about and willing to take great risks to his safety to explore. Atmospheric, challenging and a rare example of really intelligent television. One criticism is that it would take more than the two programmes so far to actually get to the bottom of this phonomenon and in that sense it is a partial account. Watch it as it is really worthwhile but also read up afterwards.
Thief (1981)
good but not brilliant
Good but not brilliant. We can see all the trademark Mann themes coming together and for fans that's great fun. The soundtrack is cool, not that that different from what he'd come to use in heat. Cann is great and can carry a lead (he also proved this in misery).He brings detail to his performance (the trembling hand holding his weapon in the climax) and the moving coffee house scene with Tuesday Weld. Willie Nelson is awesome and blows everyone off the screen with his two minutes. Really impressed me. Shame he was under used. Mann has not developed his eye quite as much as I expected. Although you get some squib work and slow-mo death action that is very reminiscent of Miami vice and manhunter so it's there in the mix. Smaller, more low key and not as slick as future stuff but it's definitely mann at the helm and that's always cool. Script veers between the very clever and thoughtful and the hackneyed and clichéd but that's always been Mann's way up to a point. Only in the Insider did he really manage to put that to bed. Not brilliant but then not bad at all.