Summer 1972: an ABC film crew works tirelessly to report from the Olympic Games held in Munich when suddenly gunshots ring through the Olympic village. The reporters are abruptly thrust into covering an ongoing hostage situation and faced with the question of what is morally right to broadcast on live television.
In his historical thriller “September 5”, director Tim Fehlbaum transports viewers into the middle of a claustrophobic news studio amidst an international crisis. The film takes place almost exclusively in the ABC studios, making it more of a dialogue-heavy chamber drama than a detailed historical retelling. However, this circumstance helps immensely in empathizing with the journalists trying to somehow process the unverified information coming in from outside into a coherent story before the competition gets the scoop. The good and bad decisions made in such an atmosphere are expertly highlighted, as are the inevitable consequences that result from them. Intense performances and a tightly written script ensure that the film remains exciting throughout, even though most viewers already know how this story ends. (SaL)