gregkut-245-771714 The initial plot line was interesting, about Jon Hamm as a State Dept leader employing and adopting the brother of a Palestine terrorrist. It had potential, but then it morphed into Mad Men Middle East. Hamm plays an cynical but smooth talking alcoholic haunted by past secrets, with an incredibly high tolerance for booze that can switch from wasted to competent on a dime. He also goes for mystery strolls through terror ridden Beirut neighborhoods. Finally, multi-lingual CIA Peggy olsen is along to be a foil to his self indulgence. Hank from Breaking Bad and Eli from Boardwalk Empire are there too as bad guys. I watched it on a plane, and I'm glad I didn't spend actual money on it.

gradyharp Tony Gilroy wrote is psychological and character driven thriller and Brad Anderson directed - finding just the right amount of reality with devastating views of the life in Beirut during the ongoing civil war. Aided by a fine cast and superb cinematography by Björn Charpentier the film may be difficult to view because of the content of war, but it is important for al of s to see the ravages of terrorism and war that continues throughout the Middle East.The year is 1972. Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm) had a great life as a diplomat in Beirut. He and his wife, Nadia (Leila Bekhti), live in a beautiful house and have been mentoring a thirteen year-old Palestinian boy named Karim (Yoav Sadian). The opening scene is a party that the Stiles are hosting for other dignitaries. Karim is helping out serving the guests. When a CIA friend of Mason, Cal (Mark Pellegrino), comes to the party he is interested only in taking Karim in for questioning about an older brother Mason doesn't know about. What happens that night changes Mason's life forever, along several others at the party: terrorists attack, Nadia is killed, Mason is psychologically crushed and leave Beirut for the US where he divorces himself form diplomacy and becomes an alcoholic small time business negotiator. Jump forward to 1982 and because of an impending civil war the CIA operatives must send former U.S. diplomat Mason Skiles to negotiate for the life of his friend Cal he left behind. Skiles take the assignment reluctantly and discovers the now older Karim (Idir Chender) and his involvement in the war - and the important hostage he holds. The fine cast is rounded b=out by Rosamund Pike, Dean Norris, Colin Stinton, Shea Whigham, and many others. Raw, a bit difficult to follow at times, this film show not only the effects of war on the victims in the countries where the fighting occurs, but also on the soldiers and diplomats who are sent to 'aid' the situation. We need to see films such as this to keep aware of the horrors of war.

esther70 I don't care it is not filmed in Beirut. It is a good spy thriller that is unlike most others. It does not have car chases or thousands of bullets flying or naked men & women decorating the screen. It has depth and is thought provoking. A wife died and the husband grieved. A child lost his mentor and he seeked another, who led him to a totally different path. There are deceptions but there are also trust and friendship. It is a movie that keeps your brain churning instead of your adrenaline rushing.

SnoopyStyle It's 1972 Beirut. American diplomat Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm) and his wife Nadia are caring for local boy Karim. Karim's older brother Rami is connected to terrorism. He attacks the Skiles home to retrieve Karim. Nadia is killed in the process. Seven years later, Mason is back in the States as an arbitrator in labor disputes. He's become a drunk. He reluctantly accepts an emergency return to Beirut to negotiate for the release of an embassy official. Karim is involved. The country is in tatters in the midst of a civil war. No one knows who's killing who. CIA agent Sandy Crowder (Rosamund Pike) is in charge of the operation. The Israelis want a green light for an invasion.This needs some exposition to explain Karim and the general politics of the region. It is able to present a sense of chaos. The chaos does leech into the movie and threatens to confuse the audience. I never got lost but it did require some effort to understand the various sides. I'm sure some people got bored rather than trying to follow the plot. One scene where Sandy clearly identify all the players would be helpful. Jon Hamm is great but I expect nothing less. It was filmed in Tangier, Morocco which gave it its great Middle Eastern feel. All that's missing is a scene where the situation is laid out clearly to the audience.