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The Siege (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:58
Fresh:25
Rotten:33
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: An exciting, well-paced action film.
Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: When the U.S. military abducts a Muslim leader, New York City becomes the target of several terrorist attacks in this gripping political thriller ripped from newspaper headlines. Denzel Washington... When the U.S. military abducts a Muslim leader, New York City becomes the target of several terrorist attacks in this gripping political thriller ripped from newspaper headlines. Denzel Washington stars as Anthony "Hub" Hubbard, the head of the FBI terrorism task force who is charge of investigating the bombings. Ironically, Hub's partner, Frank Haddad (Tony Shalhoub), is Arab-American and must fight for his family's rights as the citizens of New York become increasingly paranoid about the Arab-American population. Elise Kraft (Annette Bening) is an undercover CIA official and Middle East expert who is also investigating the terrorist attacks and joins Hub and Frank as they search for the terrorists. As Hub, Elise, and Frank work to uncover the source of the terrorism, the city erupts in escalating madness, spiraling out of control until the government sends in General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis), who takes over the city and declares martial law. Ultimately, the government seizes the male Arab-American population of New York in makeshift internment camps in this incredibly relevant and cautionary thriller that examines the real dilemma of how a democratic society can uphold the rights of its citizens while under military protection. Director Edward Zwick's film features excellent performances from an all-star cast and includes real footage of President Clinton addressing the problem of terrorism. [More]
Starring: Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub
Starring: Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub, Sami Bouajila, Liana Pai
Director: Edward Zwick
Director: Edward Zwick
Screenwriter: Edward Zwick, Menno Meyjes, Lawrence Wright
Producer: Lynda Obst, Edward Zwick
Composer: Graeme Revell
Reviews for The Siege
At some point, the movie itself crosses the line, from a modestly thoughtful attempt to extrapolate a drama from real and urgent events to a generic action piece with predictable good and bad guys and pat, civics-book morals.
In his misguided literalness, Zwick has shown us the face of a police state without exposing its core.
Wildly schizoid, The Siege manages the feat of being both intelligent and irresponsible, serious and silly.
The Siege is many things at once: tense, exciting, disturbing, and thought provoking.
While not especially clever or creative, The Siege ... grabs the audience by the intellect and doesn't let go for 120 minutes.
A flawed melodrama that gives itself a self-important weight it cannot sustain throughout.
Zwick (Courage Under Fire) has fashioned another ethical tour de force that reveals his dedication to serious filmmaking.
More political than entertaining, The Siege is a reflection of our heightened awareness and sensitivity to terrorism and the price of freedom.
The mediocre result is dismayingly unworthy of Washington and Zwick's combined talents.
This movie has a very strong and compelling narrative thread running through it, and it benefits from expert direction that elevates the tension to a pitched height.
The prejudicial attitudes embodied in the film are insidious, like the anti-Semitism that infected fiction and journalism in the 1930s--not just in Germany, but in Britain and America.
With gritty cinematography and taut editing, the film maintains its energy and offers a palatable reality as the tension tightens.
If you like political thrillers with lots of explosions, domestic terrorism, and vein-popping army Generals, this movie's for you.
Not dramatic enough to deserve merit, not suspenseful enough to attract an action-oriented audience, and so preachy as to be almost ludicrous.
The Siege attempts to update the bluffs and counterfeints of the Cold War spy thriller, not to advance any ideological point but to obscure the fact that it doesn't have one.
I suggest you catch it on a cheapie night in the theatres, or more sensibly, wait for it on video and enjoy it during those long winter months.
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