Beirut 2018

     Mason and his wife Nadia are living in Beirut and Mason is a diplomat.  Their life was good until Mason’s CIA friend comes to a party to take Karim in for questioning.  Karim is a thirteen year-old Palestinian boy that has been living with Mason and Nadia.  They have been thinking about adopting Karim.  The CIA is interested in Karim’s older brother?  Mason and Nadia didn’t know that Karim had an older brother and supposedly this brother is very dangerous?

     This film had potential but it just doesn’t make the mark?  Some events are not explained and some are boring?  There is some suspense but it seems to drag on.  Viewers don’t have any investment in the kidnap victim because he is just another embassy person with very little screen time?  2 ½* (This movie is so-so) 

109 min, Crime directed by Brad Anderson with Jon Hamm, Jay Potter, Khalid Benchagra, Yoav Sadian, Lelia Bekhti, Kate Fleetwood, Mark Pellegrino, Colin Stinton, Mustapha Touki, Youssef El Hibaqui, Aziz Attougui.  

Note:  Imdb 6.4 out of 10, 81% critic 55% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*,  Metacritic 69 out of 100 with 31 critics 6.6 out of 10 with 44 ratings, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 277 reviews, Washington Post 4* out of 5*, Plugged In 1 ½* out of 5*, The Guardian 4* out of 5* .

Special Note:  This movie was filmed in Tangier, Morocco and Rhode Island.  Non-local women in the cast and crew were advised not to go out in public unless men accompanied them.  Authorities discovered that an ISIS cell was across the street from the production offices.  Islamic terrorists reportedly were building a bomb that they planned to use on a nearby McDonald’s on the first day of Ramadan.  Filming was done during the month-long Ramadan holiday.  No water or food can be consumed during daylight hours.