The film is set in Beirut in the 80s, immediately following the bombing of the US marine base and the French paras. An ambitious young journalist is stuck in Paris doing a boring job trailing celebrities round nightclubs, and sees his chance to get in on the action. Within hours he lands in a totally convincing Beirut, where he is bottom dog in the press pack. He meets a beautiful French photographer (as you do), who feeds him an amazing scoop. His first story hits the front page, but 24 hours later, it turns out to be a dud, and to have cost dozens of lives. Less trustful, he tracks the French beauty to her den, gets another scoop (which he checks more carefully) but before he can release it, realises it will probably cost his life and hers too, so he gives the story to the man whose job he stole and flies off into the sunset. Breakneck speed, cynical intelligent script, and excellent acting and setting make the whole thing plausible and enjoyable. Why can't it get a distributor in the UK?
Review of Deadlines
