7 Days in Entebbe

Here’s a nutty idea: what if they made a based-on-a-true-story historical drama that didn’t end with images of the real-life people portrayed in the film? Dare to dream. Brazilian director José Padilha (Elite Squad) instead dutifully continues this unfortunate trend in 7 Days in Entebbe, splicing actual footage of Israeli hostages returning home into the ending of his workmanlike political thriller. Of course, that moldy grace note is hardly the only shopworn element in 7 Days in Entebbe, a competently crafted and acted but largely unoriginal take on a story that has already been filmed several times (once in Israel and twice for American television). In fact, the only unique element that Padilha brings to the film is an unexpected obsession with politically charged interpretive dance. It’s not exactly what I was hoping for, but you take what you can get. Despite the film’s many shortcomings, it remains watchable.