58 - "Munich" (2005)

     One of the more ridiculous Academy Award arguments of recent memory is the debate that rages on about Crash beating out Brokeback Mountain for the Best Picture Oscar in 2006. The reason that it's ridiculous is because NEITHER one of them was the best movie from that year. Yes, this is just my opinion, but I feel pretty strong about it. Both of those films were seen by a wider audience but the true star of 2005 is Steven Spielberg's Munich. During the Summer Olympics of 1972, 11 Israeli athletes were taken hostage and murdered at the hands of a Palestinian terrorist group called Black September. Israel's Prime Minister, Golda Meir, deploys a secret group of five men to hunt down and exact revenge on the terrorists. Munich tells the story of these five men and their quest for justice for the nation of Israel. Eric Bana and Daniel Craig are the big names attached to the film but all of the acting is top notch. The cinematography is stunning and some of the suspense scenes are ones that would make Hitchcock proud. Out of all the movies on my list, I'd be willing to bet this is one that is probably the least seen and that is unfortunate. If you get an opportunity to see this, make sure you do. It represents a true, but widely unknown, chapter of history and will leave you thinking.