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Z

Z (2009)

March. 13,2009
|
8.2
|
NR
| Drama Thriller Crime

Amidst a heated political climate, the opposition leader is killed in what appears to be a traffic accident. When a magistrate finds evidence of a government cover-up, witnesses start to get targeted. A thinly-fictionalized account of the events surrounding the assassination of Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963, Z captures the outrage about the military junta that ruled Greece at the time.

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Reviews

Raetsonwe
2009/03/13

Redundant and unnecessary.

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Claysaba
2009/03/14

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

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Odelecol
2009/03/15

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

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Fairaher
2009/03/16

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

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dougdoepke
2009/03/17

Leave it to French filmmakers to coddle pinkos. Never mind that the guy most interested in bringing about justice in the movie is a bland bureaucrat. If he has any political leanings, they sure don't affect his mechanical search for truth. Seems a bunch of pinko peaceniks are winning more hearts and minds than the right-wing government can allow. And since these elites stand for everything good, right, and godly—just ask them—they plot the assassination of a chief peacenik (Montand). Fortunately, they've got their street thugs to bust up pinko rallies and carry out their sneaky plot. And since they control the cops, they insist the peacenik's murder is really nothing more than an accident. Trouble is they're still honest doctors and attorneys who haven't yet been replaced. They're the ones who manage to uncover the right- wing shenanigans. So, all in all, the bad guys aren't danged peaceniks or commies. Instead they're right-wing nationalists who'll even seize all of government if they don't get their way. And so much for what's left of the democracy. And, yes, a military coup under such circumstances really did happen in Greece in 1963. So the in's and out's dramatized here are not really just the over-heated figment of some pinko filmmaker.And, oh yes, thank you Mr. Costa-Gravas for your steady-stream spotlight. It's engrossing as heck.

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gavin6942
2009/03/18

Following the murder of a prominent leftist, an investigator tries to uncover the truth while government officials attempt to cover up their roles.The film presents a thinly fictionalized account of the events surrounding the assassination of democratic Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis in 1963. With its satirical view of Greek politics, its dark sense of humor, and its downbeat ending, the film captures the outrage about the military dictatorship that ruled Greece at the time of its making.Ebert spoke passionately about the film, saying, "It will make you weep and will make you angry. It will tear your guts out." And that is really what makes the film great. It spoke of the darker things going on in the late 1960s. A time of love and protest, yes, but also a time where political upheaval sometimes came with a violent price.

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jcnsoflorida
2009/03/19

I saw this when it was first released in the US and wanted to see how much I remembered (not much!). My reaction this time: positive but tempered. It's politically correct and perhaps the most valuable thing about it is its youthful energy and idealism. It's very much of its time. My favorite element is the music which is pop and contemporary but also very Greek. Also, the character played by Trintignant-- obviously central to the film-- keeps us wondering which side he's on. That's welcome because everyone else is good or bad, i.e., boring. One of the 2 main villains is a gay pederast. I don't mind gay villains now and then, but was startled by the gratuitously mean way it was handled. Political correctness has changed a bit.

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steve-623-15461
2009/03/20

I won't add anything regarding the films story as loads of other reviewers have done a better job than I could.All I will say is this film to me is designed like a funnel: From the start you have intense threads of action and discussion/consequences that slowly gather together and compress until the film is focused, charging towards the finish.Acting is fantastic - this film has a nervous energy and authenticity that is hard to match.When you watch it you realize you are not only seeing a great film, but also reliving an important slice of history.

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