But first, a brief message. This has nothing to do with “Dragonball Z” or “Zorro.” You’d be amazed how many people ask that.

Z is a political thriller. It is not, however, a “Tom Clancy Brand” one, in which Jack Ryan trots around the globe smiting generic communists/terrorists with schemes designed to be so ridiculously implausible that they are incapable of offending anyone. (“No, we can’t just make a movie in which the IRA carries out terrorist attacks. That would make too much sense and could possibly offend three people. Let’s have a splinter group of the IRA with a base in Tunisia do the dirty work.”)

In Z, the only character who even remotely resembles ol’ Jack gets knocked off within the first twenty minutes. (Actually, he’s really nothing like Jack Ryan. It’s just that they’re both played by movie stars with good hair.) Also, there’s none of this “IRA in Tunisia” bull. Rather, there’s a simple disclaimer at the beginning: “All similarities to actual events are intentional.”

Now that’s more like it. Not some contrived “whack the commies” type plot. (Things got more difficult for the genre when the Soviet Union fell. Deep down inside, no matter his outward political sentiments, I’m sure Tom Clancy is mighty p/oed at Gorby.)

Z is based on the assasinatioin of a popular left-wing Greek doctor-turned-politian and the investigation that ensued. It comes out that the military was deeply involved. This all occurs during the midst of the cold war, and the military gets along well with the United States. Suffice to say, there isn’t a happy ending.

All in all, Z is a great film. It’s well written, Costa Gavros does a great job directing, and there are many good performances by people with French names that I can’t remember. All in all, it blows any Tom Clancy flick away.

See it. Now.

Rating: 4 stars.
Rated: PG Starring: Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant, et al.
Director: Costa-Gavras

--KCaliban